Learn about the Voladores de Papantla Ritual: one of the most treasured rituals that Mesoamerica inherited from the Totonacs is the dance of the Voladores de Papantla, a religious ceremony performed primarily during holiday events, which is believed to be a dialogue between the natural elements and humans. The birdmen, as the voladores are often called, launch themselves from the top of a pole as tall as 100 feet high, and slowly descend as the ropes around the pole unwind. Four voladores perform in honor of their four primary Gods: Sun, Wind, Earth and Water.
 The voladores circle the pole 13 times before reaching the ground, for a total of 52 turns, representing the total number of years in the Mesoamerican century. The dance can be viewed every Sunday at the El Tajin archaeological site, and is also performed at many Mexican tourist sites and events.
"Los Voladores de Papantla" - The Danza de los Voladores de Papantla (Dance of Papantla's flyers) is a ritualistic dance in Veracruz, Mexico performed by the Totonac Indians. Five men, each representing the five elements of the indigenous world climb atop a pole, one of them stays on the pole playing a flute and dancing while the remaining four descend the pole with a rope tied by one of their feet. The rope unwraps itself 13 times for each of the four flyers, symbolizing the 52 weeks of the year.
According to legend, a long drought covered the Earth so five men decided to send Xipe Totec, the God of fertility a message, asking them for the rain to return. They went to the forest and looked for the straightest tree, cut it, and took it back to their town. They removed all branches and placed it on the ground, then dressed themselves as feet/birds and descended flying attempting to grab their God's attention.
In San Miguel de Allende, an arts and cultural colonial city 165 miles NW of Mexico City, the Voladores perform eight times during the weekend after the September 28 feast day of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the city.
As organizers of the performances in San Miguel de Allende describe the meaning of their ceremonies, the performances are an homage to pagan beliefs and rituals honoring the earth and the movement of the years as specified in the Mesoamerican calendar.
The five men climb to the top of the pole onto a small platform, and one man plays the flute in a prayerful way as the four men pay homage to the four corners of the earth, the four winds, the four elements, the four seasons, and all the gods throughout the earth.
The four men then tie thick ropes to their ankles, and at the same moment let themselves fall backward off of the platform so that they each make 13 rotations around the pole as they descend to the earth, like birds. The four men's 13 rotations make 52, the number of years in a sacred sheaf as well as the number of years in a "calendar round". |
