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What sport does UNESCO, the famed international organisation for education, science and culture, proclaim to be a ‘Masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity’? Football, Greco-Roman Wrestling?
No, you are wrong. The world’s largest sports are largely ignored by UNESCO, however, one Spanish sport was deemed so culturally significant that it has remained on the list.
If that is not jogging your memory, it also features hundreds of people, complex geometry and children wearing helmets.
Still nothing? It is Castell, the 18th century human pyramid building competitions that occur throughout festivals at Catalonia.
As a game it is about as extreme (and dangerous) as it sounds – extreme enough that if Tutankhamun was resurrected and happened to be holidaying in Spain he would be impressed.
The rules of the competition are simple. Simple in theory, very hard in practice.
Participants are to create complex geometric towers of various levels incorporating different numbers of people to complete each level. A ‘pilar’ describes a level comprised of one person per level, whereas a ‘cinc’ is such a level comprised of five.
The number of levels is described similarly – the term ‘sis, is used to describe a tower that is six levels high, and ‘deu’ one that is 10. Typically towers to not reach above 10 levels (approximately six storeys).
A castell is considered a success when stages of its assembling and disassembling can be done in complete succession.
The assembly is complete once all castellers have climbed into their designated places, and the enxaneta (the top-most casteller – a child) climbs into place at the top and raises one hand with four fingers erect, in a gesture said to symbolise the stripes of the Catalan flag.
To organise such a complex operation, teams also have a captain and a team of assistants. Collectively, they make up the brains of the operation and determine which structure will be undertaken, however they do not participate in the physical construction but rather monitor from the safety of the ground.
The phenomenon of human pyramid building in some shape or form, however, is not unique to Catalonia.
In India, Dahi Handi is a similar game played with some slight rule variations.
In the Indian version, rather than assembly and dismantling being the criteria for competitiveness, the game involves creating a loosely organised structure in order to smash an earthenware pot hung at predetermined height.
Dahi Handi is considered more dangerous tha its Catalonian cousin and has been deemed so problematic that India’s Supreme Court has issued preventative measures that has seen the event become more conservative.
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