Papantla Flyers in Costa Maya, México

Looking back in time to Sunday, February 23, 2020; I remember walking off the Enchantment of the Sea Caribbean cruise ship onto the docks of the Costa Maya Port and seeing an amazingly entertaining sight.

When I first saw the ritualistic performance, I didn’t realize exactly what I was watching, however, I later learned that I was observing four men dancing in the sky.

These four dancers are tied by their feet with long ropes; they descend to the ground as the ropes unwind and fly around the pole. There is a fifth dancer who remains at the top of the pole, playing the flute and drum. This ceremony is not just for mere entertainment to display bravery and courage, but it actually has a much deeper, more valuable meaning.

The Papantla Flyers are also known as the Voladores de Papantla or Birds from Earth. The Dance of the Voladores or Papantla Flyers is a pre-Hispanic ritual that originated in Papantla, Veracruz, Mexico. The Papantla Flyers is the most famous of the Totonac dances.  This ancient Mesoamerican ritual is used to ask the gods to end a drought and bring rain for crops during extended dry seasons. It is said that the brave men falling symbolizes the fall of raindrops from the sky in the search of earth’s fertility. The flute represents the singing of a bird, and the drum resembles the voice of the gods; similar (almost) to the sound of a thunderstorm. In the past, the ritual began by choosing and cutting the tree from which they would take the flying post.

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As a tourist this traditional ritual of the Papantla Flyers was stunning yet seemed dangerous. To the locals, it is a normal common and ancient tradition. It was amazing to watch even though I doubt that I would ever climb that high on any pole. Rest assured that these men who perform the important ceremony have been trained since childhood to perform this ritual. The tourists, like me, in actuality only see the final part of the ceremony.

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Photo Credit: ©️2020 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – Telephoto Camera

Location: Costa Maya Port; Costa Maya, Mexico

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.