Spear Battle | Taboo

it is the morning of the pasola paella
and the men from his village anxiously
wait for their opponents wrapping their
heads in bright scars to identify them
as Highlanders in every battle there
must be an enemy
boom Agha faces the men from the lowland
villages called the body of bola
men like Carol bola Carol bola is a hero
in his village he is written in the
pasola more than 20 times earning a
reputation as a ferocious opponent every
year his Spears find their mark knocking
a man from his horse or injuring a rival
and he is a skilled and fearless rider I
don’t feel afraid and I don’t feel that
the others are afraid because if
something happens on the grounds of the
pasola it was meant to happen the
bravery that men display on the
battlefield will be rewarded by good
crops prosperity good health for their
descendants so allegedly if you put on a
good show for the spirits you get
rewarded
truck after truck unloads thousands of
spectators at least 2,000 have come to
watch the pasola 200 men on 200 horses
ride in the event more than ever before
a dry year means they have put their
faith in the pasola to bring rains for
the year to come the teams with some as
young as 16 face off a hundred feet from
each other Highlanders on one side
lowlanders on the other
in one hand they grip the reins with the
other they hurled their Spears taking
aim at the opposing team skill and
balance are crucial in a display of
bravado some men charge towards the
other side at speeds of up to 20 miles
per hour they risk being struck but
their spear may find its mark to nothing
a man to the ground is a win for your
team and a path to personal glory
there’s a big sense of showing that
you’re a man showing that you’re
courageous this is where you can become
really famous for your horsemanship it’s
also where you can be really humiliated
if you fall down quickly