The mayor of a small town in southern Mexico exchanged vows with a female reptile in a ritual believed to bring prosperity to the community.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Victor Hugo Sosa, the mayor of San Pedro Huamelula, a picturesque town inhabited by the Indigenous Chontal people, embarked on a marital union with a reptile named Alicia Adriana, reenacting a sacred ancestral custom.
The reptilian bride, known as a caiman, hails from the marshlands and resembles an alligator. These creatures are native to Mexico and Central America.
With deep conviction, Sosa pledged his unwavering commitment to what the locals fondly refer to as “the princess girl.”
“I embrace this responsibility wholeheartedly because we share a genuine love. That is the essence of a meaningful marriage… I wholeheartedly unite myself with the princess girl,” Sosa proclaimed during the symbolic ceremony.
For the past 230 years, this unusual matrimony between a man and a female caiman has been observed, commemorating the historic occasion when two Indigenous groups sealed their reconciliation through a marriage.
According to tradition, conflicts between the Chontal people, currently represented by Mayor Sosa, and the Huave Indigenous group were resolved when a Chontal king wedded a princess from the Huave community, symbolised by the female alligator.
The Huave people reside in the coastal regions of Oaxaca state, in proximity to the inland town of San Pedro Huamelula.
This wedding ceremony serves as a means for both communities to connect with the essence of Mother Earth, beseeching the all-powerful forces for rain, bountiful harvests, and overall harmony for the Chontal people, elucidated Jaime Zarate, the town’s historian.
Prior to the marital rites, the reptile is paraded from house to house, allowing the townsfolk to cradle and dance with her. The caiman adorns a vibrant green skirt, complemented by a meticulously hand-embroidered tunic and a headdress embellished with ribbons and sequins.
To prevent any unforeseen mishaps before the marriage life, the creature’s snout is securely fastened shut.
