La Danza de los Voladores de Papantla

La danza de los voladores is a ancient fertility ritual that has ties to the harvest. Legend goes that the original dance was done to appease the Gods and hopefully end a prolonged drought. Usually five men climb to the top of a 30 foot pole where then four of the men tie themselves to the top of the pole with rope. The fifth person performs songs and either plays the flute or the drums.The four men tied to the poles that represent the four directions (voladores)  then launch themselves backwards from the pole and begin a terrifying descent. This dance invites communication with the Gods, deities, and saints, like Saint Michael