PAPANTLA 249 



PAPANTLA 



An examination of other pyramids in Vera Cruz ascribed to the 

 ancient Totonac shows a general similarity' to the mounds referred to 

 in the preceding- pages. Some of these, of whicli Papantla is probably 

 the best known, are faced with dressed stone. The pyramid El Cas- 

 tillo, at Huatusco, and those at Tusapan and Mizantla have the same 

 general form as those at Cempoalan, but the material used in their con- 

 struction is different. One of the best preserved Nahuatl pyramids in 

 this country is situated at Teayo, not far from Tuxpan, and will be 

 considered presently." 



The pyramid called El Tajin. '" the Lightning" (plate ex), situated in 

 Vera Cruz near Papantla, is one of the most striking as well as excep- 

 tional ruins in the ancient Totonac territory. From what remains of 

 this magnificent monument we may conclude that in its prime it was 

 not inferior in architecture to the most stately structures of Central 

 America to which it is closely related. The pyramid has this excep- 

 tional architectural feature: While solid throughout there are arranged 

 in series around the four faces, with the exceptioi: of the space occu- 

 pied by the stairway, numerous niches in which formerly stood idols 

 or possibly other objects. The temple proper crowned the platform 

 or uppermost of the six terraces. The exceptional feature in El Tajin 

 is the seven rows of niches, one above the other, the homologues of 

 which exist in no other pyramid in Mexico, either Maya or Nahuatl. 



The modern pueblo Papantla, situated in the mitlst of the vanilla 

 zone of Vera Cruz, is a community of Totonac Indians among whom 

 survive many ancient customs. One of the most interesting of these 

 is the game of the flyers {voladorcs), which was once wideh' distributed 

 in Mexico. In this play men disguised as birds mount to the tops of 

 upright poles and, attaching themselves to ropes, jump into space, 

 seeming to fly through the air. It would appear that this game has 

 preserved in Papantla some of its ancient vigor and that the perform- 

 ance here retains much that is more or less ceremonial. An old woman, 

 the so-called Jtn/Ja (witch), makes offerings of copal, aguadiente, and 

 a fowl, which are placed in the hole when the pole is put in position, 

 and various minor rites are performed during the several days the 

 ceremony continues. The volador festival has degenerated into a play 

 in modern times and in most Mexican pueblos has come to be a secu- 

 lar occasion. It is comparable with the Sun dance, one of the most 

 serious ceremonies of our Plains Indians. 



aThe pyramids of the Sun and Moon, at San Juan Teotihuacan, not far from Mexico City, are of 

 earth, not differing, except in size, from many earth mounds of Vera Cruz. 



