Human pyramid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other meanings, see Pyramid (disambiguation).
A human pyramid is a stunt, performed by circus artists — sometimes even doing other tricks such as juggling while up there — or less perfectly by amateurs (often for the fun of failing and falling), whereby participants form a pyramid of layers of persons, each standing (or supporting in another way, e.g. kneeling) on two others one level lower, one half a position to the right and the other to the left.
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- The castellers of Catalonia form human pyramids up to ten man heights high.
- During the Hindu festival Krishna Janmaashtami, young men form human pyramids to reach pots filled with curd and butter and suspended high above the ground as part of the Dahi-Handi ritual.
- Human pyramids are often formed to reach for the bun during the Chinese Bun Festival.
- It is also used in bonding, e.g. as part of a North American college fraternity hazing ritual, also in a variation called a spanking pyramid, also suitable as a collective punishment, in which the pledges, often divested, are paddled on the conveniently protruded posterior.
- The opening credits of Eight Is Enough show the family forming a human pyramid.
