The Papantla Flyers Dance
The rite of the Voladores de Papantla is a cultural and spiritual manifestation of Pre-Hispanic origin.
During the ceremony, the objective is to propitiate the fertility of the land. Four men climb a wooden pole (flying pole) and a fifth element, the caporal, stands at the top of the pole, and with a flute and a small drum plays melodies dedicated to the Sun, the four winds and the cardinal directions.
Then the four men, tied with ropes to the pole, jump into the void and descend slowly while pretending to fly. This dance recreates the myth of the birth of the universe, expresses the cosmovision of the community, allows communication with the gods and calls for the prosperity of the group.
With the name of “The ritual ceremony of the flyers” it was inscribed in 2009 in the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
