Snake Rope

A woman in my village has become very sick. Instead of going to the doctor in town, her family has taken other forms of action. She has been moved temporarily into the house of a villager known for having strong healing powers of prayer. "Filipino healing crystals," which were probably purchased at one of Port Vila's Chinese stores, are rubbed over her body daily. A older man made custom medicine for her with a special leaf from the bush which was ground into a paste and applied to her skin.

The villagers believe she is sick because someone violated an old taboo by cutting or disturbing "snake rope." Snake rope is a type of vine that grows in the bush. It gnarls and twists and turns and winds its way from the the forest floor to the jungle canopy like a snake, hence the name. Snake rope often grows where bodies are buried or where sacred custom rituals were performed, according to the locals.

Cutting snake rope with your bush knife does not always result in sickness however. If the coastal waters are at low-tide, the "devils" around the snake rope will be down on the reef collecting food. But at high-tide, the devils are around the snake rope and will cause illness and possibly kill anyone who should disturb them.

The symptoms are often swelling of the limbs, head, soreness of the body and red eyes.

Anyhow thought it would be interesting to share their beliefs. I often stress that even if locals want to pray or use custom medicine, it is still good to visit the doctor and see if "white man medicine" can help at all.