Swingin'

Bolivians don't do Valentines Day, but in honor of the occasion, I though give a little anthropological account of another courtship ritual, La Festival del la Wallunk'a. Wallunk'a marks the commencement of the rainy season, celebrating fertility of the fields and the vitality of the community. It's commonly associated with the Day of the Dead, since they coincide in early November.

Wallunk'a means swing in Quechua. Giant swings are are constructed of eucalyptus trees and cured leather straps. Entire indigenous communities come together to construct them, with pre-Colombian engineering. They're blessed and bedecked with wreathes of flowers.

Young Quechua women from the Cochabamba Valley take turns showing their daring and prowess on the swings, soaring twenty to twenty-five feet off the ground at their apex. Bunches of flowers and baskets of food and other prizes are put just out of reach, forcing the women to swing higher and higher. With short skirts and long braids flying, it makes for quite a sight.

Suitors stand below, serenading the women. One ballad starts with "Sobre mi sombrero, ay palomitay, una flor rojita, por vos viditay," or "Over my hat, little dove, a little red flower, for you I live." The suitors encourage the women to swing higher, until they can't stand it and they scream stop. Then they're received by their suitors, and the courting and celebrating continues with abundant chicha.

Thanks to Arnd for the photo of a more modern Wallunk'a