| Mexican Tiger Fighting: A Brutal Indigenous Rain Ritual EuroNews | |
| go to original May 9, 2022 |
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In southern Mexico, an extremely violent indigenous ritual, known as Atsatsilistli, takes place every year.
Seeking to appease the Aztec rain god and end drought, men and women in tiger costumes whip each other mercilessly into submission.
"They say it's a drop of blood for a drop of rain," Karina Vicente says as she prepares to take part in the annual tradition for the first time.
"I'm very excited but nervous," explained the 22-year-old psychology student in the town of Zitlala in Guerrero, one of Mexico's poorest and most violent states.
According to tradition, blood spilled during the ritual is an offering for the rain god Tlaloc.
The sound of each whiplash represents a clap of thunder, the yellow colour of the costumes a drought and the whip a tiger's tail.
The air is filled with the aroma of mezcal, an alcoholic spirit made from agave fruit, that the contestants drink and use to wet their whips to make them more effective.
In the past, the 300-year-old indigenous ceremony was only for men. But these days, women also want to help keep the tradition alive.
The ritual hopes to ensure that the rainy season begins punctually - a lifeline for a community that relies on corn and other crops.
Read the rest at EuroNews
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