Bird’s Eye View: Cultural Analysis of the Voladores Ritual
(UC Riverside)
Rituals are a form of symbolic communication and expression associated with religious performance. When culture is viewed as a process rather than static, the cultural continuity of a ritual is better understood. The Danza de los Voladores de Papantla, or Dance of Papantla’s Flyers, is a ritual dance that is a continuing practice, from prehispanic times, performed by the Totonac people of Veracruz, Mexico. The essential component involved in the performance is a pole that stands approximately eighty feet high. The pole is looped with a rope used for climbing and supporting the Voladores. Each participant and instrument used in conducting the ritual is significant. In regards to the Voladores ritual, sources show that four of the performers represent the birds of the four directions of the Mesoamerican cosmos. During the ritual, the performers descend from the pole and “fly” in a circular motion until they have landed. The revolutions correlate with the cycles of the Mesoamerican calendar. Based on review of the literature and related iconography, this presentation will focus on the connection of the Voladores ritual to the sky element of the Mesoamerican cosmos. In addition, this presentation will attempt to demonstrate the benefits and limitations of incorporating ethnographic data with iconographic interpretation.