human castles in Spain

I am gong to talk about history of human castles festival. This festival began in the 17th century and was originally a dance called the Valencian Dance. At the end of this dance a small group of people stood on other's shoulders to create a tower of people. The people that joined this dance at town festivals belonged to the ploughmen's trade guild. According to a Catalan cultural organization called "Carrutxa," this dance was called the Valencian Dance because the word "Valentium" means strength in Latin. Gradually, groups of people began to form the Human Tower aspect of the dance.

Next, I am gong to show you how to make human castles. There are three parts to a castle. The base, or “pinya”, of the castle is formed by a group of people who stand together with their hands twisted together and can hold up to 300 people. Then people stand on top of the base to form a tree like trunk, or “tronc”, with a certain people on each story. And a “pom de dalt” or knob like structure is formed at the top, usually crowned with a small child because they are lighter. When the child reaches the top, he or she waves by signaling the completion of the castle. The end result looks like a human wedding cake! Teams which create the highest castle without anyone falling are considered the winner.