What do the Voladores de Papantla do?
The ritual ceremony of the Voladores (‘flying men’) is a fertility dance performed by several ethnic groups in Mexico and Central America, especially the Totonac people in the eastern state of Veracruz, to express respect for and harmony with the natural and spiritual worlds.
How long have the Voladores de Papantla been around?
The performance presented by the Papantla Flyers (the Voladores) at Discover Mexico Park is a reenactment of part of a ritual that has been taking place in Mexico, uninterrupted, for over 2,500 years. The ceremony began in the central part of Mexico with the Olmecs.
How did the ritual of Papantla come to be?
The origin of this ritual is a prayer to a deity, which was done as a way to plead for the rain to fall over the crops in times of drought. Ancient and universal, this fertility dance is plagued with symbolism. Each one of the flyers or voladores represents one of the four cardinal points.
What do the Voladores represent?
In this “Dance of the Flyers,” the flying men—or voladores—represent the elements earth, air, fire and water, circling the sun in a prayer for happiness and fertility. It is a ritual of the Totonac people, one of Mexico’s myriad indigenous groups, that by some estimates dates as far back as 600 BC.
Why are the flying dancers performing?
In this ancient ritual the Mexican flying dancers – Voladores – show off their Mesoamerican cultural heritage. The ceremony is a rain and fertility dance seeking harmony between the ancient gods and the earth and its people. The performers dance around a 30-metre-high pole, then climb atop it.
How many people participate in Los Voladores de Papantla?
Los Voladores de Papantla is a ritual ceremony practiced for years in certain areas of Mexico. It involves five people climbing a mighty 30-foot pole.
How old is the Voladores ceremony?
According to Totonac myth, at least 450 years ago there was a severe drought that brought hunger to the people. The gods were withholding the rain because the people had neglected them. The ceremony was created, to appease the gods and bring back the rains.
Which native Indian group performs Los Voladores?
The Aztecs
The ceremony was named an Intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in order to help the ritual survive and thrive in the modern world. The Aztecs believed that Danza de los Voladores was the symbol of their culture.
