Tezcatlipoca Voladores
By Amelia (amy) Quicke
17 Oct 2008
Tezcatlipoca Voladores, Mayan Sundancers, are part of the festivities of the Richmond Folkfestival. These Mayan descendants climb high above the earth on a pole blessed by their Shaman. The "Flying Man" Sundance is surely the most spectacular dance created in the western hemisphere. Similar to many other Native American dances, it is a religious ritual and prayer as well as an intricate dance. Christopher Columbus wrote of the amazing dance he witnessed in an Indian village in what is now southern Mexico
The dance begins with the four flyers entering the circle led by the Priest. The Priest is dressed in red and white to represent the sun and a multi-colored headdress to reflect the rainbow. All five dance around the base of the pole, stop four directions to ask permission for the Sundance which honors the Creator. The four flyers, in turn, ascend the pole, which towers from the earth a full 80 feet, topped by an eight-inch diameter drum and a rotating platform. The pole represents the connection of the earth to the heavens. The Priest, representing the rising sun, is the last to ascend. Once on top he makes an offering in song, playing a flute while dancing on top of the drum representing the heartbeat of Mother Earth, stopping in the four directions to offer a prayer in song. The drum carries his footsteps down through the pole to the earth as his flute song is carried to the heavens.
The Priest, continually playing, takes a seat on the drum and the four flyers drop backwards into the air and descend, making thirteen revolutions before they reach the earth. This number 4 X 13 = 52 represents Venus, the morning star and her influence on the earth. The symbolism is tied to the Mayan civilization's knowledge of astronomy and the heavens.
After the four flyers reach the earth they wait as the Priest, who represents the setting sun moving to touch the earth, descends. This ends the dance and their offering of thanks to the Great Creator.
