Elegant Caiman Weds Mexican Mayor in Toothy Ritual
A mayor in Mexico’s Oaxaca state has married a caiman – a toothy reptile and close cousin to alligators and crocodiles – in a traditional wedding. Victor Hugo Sosa got hitched to one “Alicia Adriana” in the town of San Pedro Huamelula, re-enacting an ancestral ritual believed to bring good fortune.
Marriage between a man and a female caiman goes back 230 years, commemorating the peace between the Chontal and Huave indigenous groups in Oaxaca. Sosa represented the Chontal king while Alicia Adriana symbolized a Huave princess girl.
The townsfolk clapped and danced at the union and the mayor professed his affection. “You can't have a marriage without love... I yield to marriage with the princess girl.”
Prior to the wedding, Alicia Adriana was dressed in a green skirt, black huipil, and headdress made of colored ribbons and sequins, then brought house to house to dance with the townspeople. For the ceremony, she slipped into a traditional white wedding dress with silver trimmings. Alicia also wore a discreet muzzle to prevent any tooth-related mishaps; the accessory came in handy when it was time to kiss the bride.
After the ceremony, the mayor danced with his caiman bride to the sounds of traditional music. “We are happy because we celebrate the union of two cultures,” Sosa told the AFP news agency. “People are content.”
Photo credit: Sky News
