Ancient mythology across the globe was an influential aspect of many civilizations. For many of these groups, it provides an identity and connection to something their human eyes couldn’t see.
But, these myths have been left behind with little information on how to interpret these stories. Throughout history, the identities of ancient mythical beings have been slowly uncovered.
Golden Empire uses the idea of uncovering one’s true identity with their 2023 production, “Serpentine.”
“The show goes off of Mesoamerican tales and it references the snake gods, which are often depicted as an evil being.” Golden Empire drum major Meghan Webster said.
Serpents were a common image and divinity in early cultural practices around the world. While many of the cultures depicted serpents as the embodiment of evil and chaos, there was one culture in particular that was fond of the serpent.
In Mesoamerica, the serpent was a symbol of rebirth, power and renewal. The serpent was loved so much by Mesoamericans, it was used to depict one of the most prominent deities, Quetzalcoatl.
The powerful identity given to the serpent by Mesoamericans is the same identity Golden Empire wants to embody with their 2023 production. This season’s production is also meant to subvert common expectations associated with serpent imagery.
“The show is instead presenting the snake as powerful,” Webster said. “It’s just like how we may be identified by others one way, but truly, it’s what’s inside and what we want to be that truly identifies us.”
Building a show around a crucial aspect of Mesoamerican culture provides a unique challenge for the Open Class corps from Bakersfield, California. The history and lore around Mesoamerican mythology is rich and takes a certain energy to embody. But Webster feels like the corps is finding that energy at the right time.
“Throughout the first part of the season, it’s been about really coming together and finding that mentality,” Webster said. “We’re doing amazing. We’re really improving, and I’m so proud of every one of our members.”
One of the ways the corps has been able to transform themselves into the ancient snake god is with new uniforms for the 2023 season. Golden Empire’s costuming feature colors like red, green and yellow. Those colors just so happen to be the prominent colors in many portraits of the snake god.
The music featured in Golden Empire’s production was also used to depict Mesoamerican culture in media. “La Noche de las Mayas” is a film score written by Silvestre Revueltas in a movie that references the time period Golden Empire uses as the backbone for their show.
View scores from Golden Empire's 2023 season
With just a few shows left in the corps’ California-based season, there’s only a few chances left for Golden Empire to bring the powerful snake god to life on a football field. The corps has steadily improved since its first event in Vista, California on July 1 and looks to max out the full potential of this production.
“I feel like the connection between the drum majors and the rest of the corps is still improving and I feel like we have the energy inside of us to bring the show out to its full potential,” Webster said.