The Flyers of Papantla
On Friday as I left the Anthropology Museum I heard pre-Hispanic music of a flute and drum. I followed the music, and a short distance away from the museum I found that the ritual of the "Voladores de Papantla" (Flyers of Papantla) was about to be performed. This ceremony was praticed throughout pre-Hispanic Mexico, but today it is most associated with the Totonac tribe from the town of Papantla in the state of Veracruz.
In this ceremony a tall pole, perhaps 100 feet high, is set up. The five participants climb to a framework at the top of the pole. One of the five is the musician who plays the flute and drum throughout the ritual. The other four tie long ropes to their ankles. They throw themselves from the top of the pole. The ropes unwind, and the flyers swirl around the pole and gradually descend to the ground.
F and I saw such performers in Papantla itself when we went to see El Tajín, a ruin I'd highly recommend. For such a major pre-Hispanic city, it seems to be relatively unknown. When we were there I was one of the few Gringo tourists. Papantla itself is nothing special, but it is the capital of Mexico's vanilla country. There you can buy a marvelous vanilla liqueur called Xanath, which I have tried in vain to find in DF, but with no luck.
ReplyDeleteContinue enjoying your stay.
Saludos,
Kim G
Boston, MA
Where we'd love to try flying from a pole some day.
El Tajin is one of the few major sites that I have yet to see... but it's on my list.
DeleteXanath sounds delicious. Have you ever tried Xtabentún, the honey liqueur from Mérida? It too is hard to find in DF, and even harder to find in the U.S.
Saludos,
Bill
Hola Bill!
DeleteI've never tried Xtabentún, but it sounds interesting. I wish I had known of its existence while I was still in Mérida.
Saludos,
KG
Yet another reason to return to Mérida!
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