por What is the baited stick?
He palo encebado, also called stick ensebado or cucaña, is a popular game widely practiced at parties in many Latin American countries, Spain or the Philippines. Its origin seems to be in a pastime practiced in Naples in the 16th century, without many changes in its rules.
As a curiosity, it seems that the game is related to the legend of the Country of Cucaña, called in some areas the Country of Jauja. In that supposed nmythological ation, riches were available to anyone without having to work. The game consists of climbing up a stick, usually covered in grease or soap so that it slips, to get the final prize.
This prize can be of any type, although food rewards are very common. Although, as noted, it is practiced in many countries, the rules do not usually vary too much. There is some version in which the stick is placed horizontally and others in which it is not covered with grease, but otherwise there are no major differences.
Chile, Spain and Ecuador are, perhaps, the places where the palo encebado is most traditional, which makes it very present in many celebrations.
Origin and history
The original name of this game was cucaña and, in fact, it is still called that in some countries. In others it has varied, finding different denominations such as greasy or soapy stick.
The most widespread theory about its origin points to Italy as the initiator of the custom. According to some experts, in 16th and 17th century Naples this game became very popular, although it presented some differences with the current one.
In this way, in some festivals a small artificial mountain was raised in the public square that represented Mount Vesuvius, a volcano located near the city. From inside the crater of the false volcano, various food products began to emerge, as if it were an eruption.
The most common were pepperoni, sausages and pasta, especially macaroni. When detached, the food was covered in grated cheese, leaving the slopes of the artificial mount covered as if it were ash. Then, the public had to strive to seize the food that had come out.
Later the false volcano was replaced by a post. The food was hung at the top and the contestants had to climb to get it.
Country of the Cucaña
A curiosity about this game is that experts link its name as Cucaña with the famous mythological country with that name. The Country of the Cucaña, also called Jauja, was a very popular legend during the Middle Ages in Europe.
According to the myth, in Cucaña wealth was abundant and available to everyone, without anyone having to work to get it. Food could be easily obtained from the ground, without requiring any effort.
Thus, the country was furrowed by rivers of milk and wine, and the mountains were made of cheese. On the other hand, the trees gave already roasted suckling pigs.
The relationship is pretty obvious, since the object of the game was to get the food items hanging from the pole.
Other theories
The Neapolitan is not the only origin given to the greased stick. Some place the beginning of this tradition in the May Tree, from Spain.
That party consisted of decorating a tree with ribbons and fruit during the month that gives it its name. Young people came to this place to dance and have fun.
It was a tradition linked to religious festivals and it did not occur only in Spain. In other European countries there were similar rites, linked to fertility and that used trees or poles as a central symbolic element.
Finally, there are those who place the history of the game in the Asian continent, specifically in India.
Denominations
As previously mentioned, the game has spread to many countries. The names may vary in some places, as seen in the list below:
Argentina: soapy stick or cucaña.
Brazil: pau de sebo (typical of the northeast of the country).
Bolivia: cucaña.
Ecuador: cucaña, castle or greasy stick
Chile: soapy stick or greasy stick.
Paraguay: ibira shyí (soapy stick) or cucaña.
Puerto Rico: greasy stick.
Venezuela: tallow stick, cucaña or prize rod. Dominican Republic: greasy stick. Spain: cucaña, pal ensabonat (Catalonia). Uruguay: ensebado stick or soapy stick.
How do you play greasy stick?
As with the name, the game may vary slightly depending on the area in which it is played. However, it always has the same base.
The stick in question is usually made of wood, with dimensions of 20 centimeters in diameter and about 6 meters in height. Keep in mind that these data are approximate and may vary from one party to another.
The post is buried in the ground, ensuring that it remains firm and does not wobble. Then it is completely covered with tallow, grease or soap, so that it slips and makes it difficult to climb. At the top are the prizes that, although traditionally they have been food, can be any attractive object.
Once the structure is ready, those who wish to try their luck line up, waiting their turn. In some places the order is raffled, since the first ones have it more complicated.
way to climb
The most common is that the contestants try to reach the prize individually, although there is also a variant in which they participate in teams. In both cases, the existence of a judge is necessary who must control that no one tries to cheat and that everyone promotes fairly.
In the case of individual games, the mechanics are quite simple, although being able to achieve the objective is not. The contestant can only use his own strength to achieve this, trying not to slip on the grease smeared on the post.
Although there is no standard technique that ensures success, most climb in the same way as climbing a palm tree, taking advantage of their clothing to remove some of the slippery material. When they see that they can reach the prize by extending their arm, they try to yank it off and slide down again.
Team mode is quite different. In this case, the participants form a kind of human ladder, helping each other to try to reach the end.
In this case the pole is usually higher, making the undertaking difficult. The essential thing is to maintain the balance of all those who form the human ladder, without overloading the one at the base.
horizontal wedge
There is a last modality of palo encebado, practiced above all in Spain. In this case the stick is placed horizontally, with most of its length placed over a river or sea.
It is very typical, for example, of the Fiestas de Santa Ana in Seville, in which the pole is placed in such a way that the participants fall on the Guadalquivir river.
Depending on the ability of the participant, some try to reach the prize by walking on the greased stick, trying to maintain their balance. Instead, others hold on with arms and legs and move forward little by little.