MAYOR MARRIES CROCODILE
SAN PEDRO. – The mayor of a small Mexican town has married a crocodile bride in a colourful ceremony which is believed to bring good fortune to his people.
The seven-year-old crocodile, known as ‘little princess’, is thought to be a deity representing mother earth.
Her marriage to San Pedro Huamelula Mayor, Victor Sosa, symbolises the joining of humans with the divine.
The tradition likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state’s Chontal and Huave Indigenous communities.
Now mixed with Catholic spirituality, the age-old ritual involves dressing the crocodile in a white wedding dress.
Olivia Perez was the person in charge of carrying out this symbolic task during Friday’s ceremony.
“For us, the crocodile is important because she is the princess who comes to bring us water, a good harvest, rains, so that God the Almighty Father sends us food, fish, corn, the harvest,” she said.
Traditional music rang out in San Pedro Huamelula and revellers danced as they urged the mayor to seal the nuptials with a kiss.
Mr Sosa obliged more than once, bending down to plant his lips on the crocodile’s snout, which had been tied shut.
“This represents the union between the princess and a servant,” he said.
Locals carried the crocodile bride in their arms through village streets as men fanned her with their hats.
Others threw fishing nets in the air and knelt down to ask the crocodile bride for an abundant catch of fish.
“We want to pray for good fishing so that this nation can prosper, so that we can live in peace and balance,” fisherman Joel Rojas said. Key points:
The wedding ceremony symbolises the joining of humans with the divine
It’s a harvest ritual that likely dates back centuries to Mexico’s pre-Hispanic indigenous communities
The crocodile was dressed as a bride and paraded through the town. – Reuters
