The rite of the flyers is a pre-Hispanic tradition that spread through different peoples of Mesoamerica and is one of the few indigenous rituals that survived the Conquest, even as a mere spectacle.
One of the locations where it is most frequently practiced is Papantla , Veracruz, so the participants are often called ‘Papantla Flyers’ , although the ritual is not exclusive to that city.
THE FLYING SQUARE
In Mexico City there was one located next to the current Zócalo , just where the seat of the Supreme Court of Justice is based. In the colonial era a popular tianguis was installed there that supplied the inhabitants of the city, served as a space for bullfights and even held a faith car of the Inquisition.
The tianguis, of which the square was part, became an established market that remained active until the end of the 19th century, when it caught fire.
RITE OF THE FLYING: THE MEANING
According to the researcher Jesús Jáuregui, and a specialist in the dance or rite of the flying, this is a propitiatory ceremony of respect and balance of men with nature in which bird-men take off from the earth to strengthen their communication with the cardinal points and then descend developing a representation of the Cosmos and its processes.
It also has a social dimension of bonding and expresses values such as purification and forgiveness.
VARIANTS
Some details are modified in the variants that currently practice the:
- Totonacas de la sierra and the north coast of Veracruz.
- Teeneks of San Luis Potosí.
- Nahuas of Hidalgo and Puebla.
- Tepehuas of northern Veracruz.
- Ñanhús from Puebla.
- Maya of Guatemala.
- Piples of Nicaragua.
The main changes are ritual uses. For example, among the teeneks the dancers offer themselves for the survival of the sun and the corn, while the totonacas seek prosperity, crops and long life.
WORLD HERITAGE
Today there are versions of the dance that have been contaminated with circus elements; However, to ensure its most authentic spirit and form in 2009, the ritual ceremony of the flyers was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
THE BASIS OF THE RITUAL
The central element is a sturdy tree trunk, but thin, which supports the entire structure. The ritual begins with the cutting of the trunk, when you apologize to the forest for snatching one of your children.
COSTUME
Participants wear brightly colored suits , reminiscent of tropical birds, so that the public on the ground can distinguish them. The ‘caporal’ gives them indications about the various acrobatic lots they must perform.