The Voladores de Papantla

I spent winter break in Mexico city from Dec. 25th until Dec. 31. Mexico D.F.,usually hustling and bustling with traffic and people, quiets down
significantly. Business activities slow down, or close down for Christmas
celebrations. Driving into the city from Metepec,(where I was staying)can
take up to two hours. With so many people out of the city I was able to
reach the center of Mexico D.F. in about half the time. On Thursday, Dec. 30 I visited the Museum of Anthropology. The voladores de papantla were perfoming their ritual ceremony at the park near the Museum of Anthropology. The “voladores” are believed to have originated in pre-colonial central Mexico in a region called Veracruz. It is said that the ritual was an attempt by the native people to please the gods during a period of drought. The “voladores”, or “hombres pajaros”, climb up a 30 foot pole. Tied to the pole, they launch themselves into the air. One dancer remains on top of the pole turning the wheel to which the flyers are attached and slowly releases rope as the “voladores” slowly descend to the ground.

Watching this ritual is a breathtaking experience. There are no safety nets. This was just one of many obvious expressions of the integration of traditional cultures into modern Mexico.

~Rosemarie Steinberg
Spanish Instructor