Rito de los voladores

The Danza de los Voladores is an ancient Totonac ritual associated with the town of Papantla, in Veracruz. Four ‘flyers’ tied by ropes launch themselves from the top of a pole about 30 meters high and spin slowly to the ground, while a fifth man, the caporal, plays a flute and a small drum at the tip.

The ritual was originally a prayer for rain and fertility, and UNESCO declared it Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.