What happens during the Aztec celebration of Volador?
The ritual consists of dance and the climbing of a 30-meter (98 ft 5 in) pole from which four of the five participants then launch themselves tied with ropes to descend to the ground. The Aztecs believed that Danza de los Voladores was the symbol of their culture.
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 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.
What does Valador mean?
English Translation. flying. More meanings for volador. flying noun. vuelo, el volar, volante.
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.
What does Teotihuacan mean and where is it located?
Teotihuacan is an ancient Mesoamerican city located 30 miles (50 km) northeast of modern-day Mexico City. By the time the Aztecs found the city in the 1400s and named it Teotihuacan (meaning “the place where the gods were created”), the city had been abandoned for centuries.
Are pinatas a Mexican tradition?
Piñatas are commonly associated with Mexico. The Spanish brought the European tradition to Mexico, although there were similar traditions in Mesoamerica, such as the Aztecs’ honoring the birthday of the god Huītzilōpōchtli in mid-December.
Where is El Festival de los Voladores?
Juego de los voladores, (Spanish: “game of the fliers”), ritual dance of Mexico, possibly originating among the pre-Columbian Totonac and Huastec Indians of the region now occupied by Veracruz and Puebla states, where it is still danced.
Which is the best definition of a Volador?
Definition of volador 1 : any of various flying fishes (as Cypselurus californicus of California and Exocoetus mesogaster and C. bahaiensis of the West Indies) 2 : a widely distributed flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans) of the Atlantic ocean 3 : any of various sailfishes (as Istiophorus volador of Florida and I. americanus of the Gulf Stream)
Where did the culture of the Voladores come from?
The French Mesoamerican ethnologist and archaeologist Guy Stresser-Pèan is one researcher who has studied the Voladores in great detail. In his various reconstructions, Stresser-Pèan links the origins of this ceremony to post-classic 11th century Toltec culture from central Mexico.
Where can I find the Voladores Flying ceremony?
To keep the Voladores tradition alive, a new training school has been established at Papantla… We are most grateful to Dr. Grazia Tuzi, Professor of Ethnomusicology at the Sapienza University of Rome, for this informative and insightful introduction to the ancient ritual ceremony known as the Voladores (Pole Flyers).