Walking on stilts is a little-known tradition, even though people have been walking on stilts all over the world for centuries. This is probably because making stilts does not require any special materials or in-depth knowledge. Even children can carve their own stilts and 'outgrow' themselves. In their simplest form, stilts are a pair of upright poles with supports for the feet that enable users to stand or walk at a height above the ground.

Who invented it?

There is no specific era or region from which stilt walking originated. Different ethnic groups independently came up with the idea of making themselves taller and lifting themselves off the ground. Their reasons varied. Some wanted to get over rough terrain better, others wore stilts for ritual dances.

In ancient Rome, walking on stilts was a popular children's game.

Young Maori from New Zealand were racing and fighting on stilts long before Europeans first set foot on the island.

The Maya — Mesoamerican Indians who occupied a nearly continuous territory in southern Mexico, Guatemala and northern Belize — probably used stilts in the context of ritual ceremonies.

In China, stilts were originally used in agriculture. People picked fruit from the trees on stilts and stood in the water to fish. In the meantime, stilt dancing has developed into an art form in China and is an integral part of spring folk festivals.

Indian stilt walkers hold a world record

The Karbi people, who live in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, also have a long tradition of walking on stilts, which helped them earn an entry in the Guinness Book of Records in February 2024, as 721 people dressed in traditional clothes walked in step on stilts in a two-kilometer-long trek for 10 minutes.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Stilt fighting in Belgium

For more than 600 years, the Belgian city of Namur has hosted an annual stilt jousting competition in September in which two teams compete against each other. The aim is to bring down all the players on the opposing team. Whoever holds out the longest in the ensuing free-for-all receives the prize of a golden stilt.

Famous observers of this curious competition include Emperor Charles V, Louis XIV and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Namur stilt jousting has been on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity since 2021.

Since the 17th century, men have whirled down steep alleyways on 50-centimeter-high stilts in the Spanish village of Anguiano at the end of July. During the stilt dance, the Danza de los Zancos, they wear wide skirts and twirl continuously to the rhythm of traditional pipes and drums. Anyone who loses their balance falls into the cheering crowd along the way. The stilt dance is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, the patron saint of the community, and was originally intended to promote good harvests.

At the turn of the century, shepherds in the southwest of France were still working on stilts around two meters high, as the magazine Die Woche reported in 1900. For the rural population, they were the best means of transportation on bumpy and swampy roads. It also gave the shepherd a better view of his sheep and protected him from snakes, ticks and wolves. A tall stick served as a shepherd's crook and, leaning against the back, as a chair.

But it wasn't just shepherds and letter carriers who used the stilts. Entire families, from grandparents to grandchildren, are said to have walked across the heath to church on stilts on Sundays, prayer book in hand.

The baker Sylvain Dornon even walked on stilts from Paris via Berlin to Moscow in 1891. He was also the one who founded one of the first French stilt dance groups at the end of the 19th century. Some of these folklore clubs are still active today.

Showing strength: Young stilt walkers in Ethiopia

In south-western Ethiopia, where the Banna people live, the soil was swampy and the vegetation dense. The stilts therefore initially had a practical use: The Banna herded cattle on stilts and were better protected from snakes and other wild animals.

Over time, walking on stilts took on a social significance that still exists today. Young unmarried men dance on stilts at festivals, thereby conveying to the tribe that they are responsible, independent and strong-willed — and could take on a lion in an emergency.

Ritual stilt dance in Togo

Tchébé is the name of the spectacular dance from Togo, which is performed on stilts up to five meters high. It requires years of training and is accompanied by singing and music. The dance is closely linked to the voodoo religion. The dancers are therefore masked and must prepare themselves spiritually. For example, they are only allowed to eat certain foods before their performances.

There are various stories about the origin of the dance. The most popular one goes like this: According to legend, a man named Itché discovered fairies with only one arm and one leg hopping on sticks in the forest while hunting. After he fired a warning shot, the fairies disappeared, but left their stilts behind. Itché took them with him and from then on taught the art of stilt dancing.

Stilt dancers ward off evil spirits

In many African countries, people have been dancing on stilts for centuries. The fact that the tradition continued in the Caribbean under the term "Moko Jumbie" is a consequence of the slave trade in the 19th century.

"Moko" is an orisha (or god) of retribution, "Jumbie" refers to a spirit or demon. "Moko Jumbies" are stilt acrobats who parade through the streets on 3-to-4.5-meter-high stilts in dazzling costumes during carnival parades and other festive occasions. They also have a spiritual significance: Due to their size, they are seen as protectors and are said to ward off evil spirits.

Incidentally, Walk on Stilts Day was created by a US American around 20 years ago. Bill "Stretch" Coleman is a stilt walker himself and wanted to encourage people of all ages to join in the children's fun on July 27. 

This article was originally written in German.