Endangered civilizations. A Volador in Cuetzalan : the Totonaques of Yohualichan

Summary

In the heart of Indian Mexico in Cuetzalan, a custom has been perpetuated for 1,500 years. It is the Dance of the Voladores, a spectacular ritual in which a bond is established between the sun and ...

In the heart of Indian Mexico in Cuetzalan, a custom has been perpetuated for 1,500 years. It is the Dance of the Voladores, a spectacular ritual in which a bond is established between the sun and mankind. Attached to ropes and with their head downwards, four men leap into the air from atop a one-hundred-foot pole. They describe 13 full circles before they regain the ground. All pre-Columbian beliefs are found in this "danza", i.e. the natural divinities of the four points of the compass, the sun, the four colors, the 52 years of the Aztec calendar and the sacrifice of some to save the rest. A Volador in Cuetzalan tells the story of a son who dreams of "flying" and his father who wonders if it is not time to stop. For he risks his life every time he carries out the rite that is meant to help his people.

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