Stilts

Stilts are artificial leg extensions, long poles on which a stilter stands and walks or otherwise moves. In Europe, stilts were made for the purpose of crossing marshy or flooded areas, and both military and civilians used them. Footrests were many feet off the ground and the stilts fastened below the knees. The walker used a long pole for additional balance and to provide a tripod for resting.

Chinese stilt walking dates to as early as the 7th century b.c.E., when an entertainer named Lanzi entertained the first Song emperor by walking and running on sticks taller than himself and attached to his feet. A sword-carrying stilt walker is portrayed on a plaque from Benin, and ancient Mayan temple decorations portray stilt walkers. West Indian stilt walkers are known as moko jumbie or moko jumbi. The moko is an African god who from his great height looks down on and protects a village.

Stilt walking is still popular at festivals, parades, and parties. Professionals use peg or Chinese stilts. These stilts strap to the foot, ankle, and knee so the walker [Page 680]can perform a wide range of motions. Lightweight stilts allow rapid walking and changes in direction. Proficient stilters can dance or jump rope, but cannot stop easily as that would cause them to fall down. Stilt dancing is supposed to be good luck in modern Mexico as it also was in ancient Rome. Western Native American children used forked sticks as stilts.

Stilts for children are not fastened to the body, and instead have foot supports on which the child stands.

In the 19th century stilt walking produced feats of endurance such as France's M. Garisoain's 4.97-mile walk at an average 7.1 m.p.h., a 273-mile stilt race at an average of 4.4 m.p.h., and Charles Blondin's stilt walks across Niagara Falls. Stilt walkers attain high speeds because a fairly short leg movement translates into a long stride at the base of the stilts. In the 1920s stilt novelties persisted—Sydney Charlton was the first to skate on stilts, and around 1927 Harry Yelding set a record walking on 22-foot-high stilts.

Stilts are used in fruit picking and painting/drywall as well as other work. Raymond Emmert produced the first drywall stilts, which are still made under the name DuraStilts. They are heavier than Chinese stilts, but safer than children's stilts. Drywall stilts allow for standing still and a natural walking motion. Actors and magicians also use them.

For centuries children have used stilts to become “giants.” Children use handheld stilts that come in two varieties that, unlike adult stilts, are not fastened to the user. Handheld pole stilts are the classic two long poles with foot supports on which the stilter stands. Children mount the stilts from a chair and with a little practice can move at a pretty good pace.

Handheld string stilts are fashioned as platforms, usually made of tin cans with strings attached, hence the alternative name of tin can stilts. The cans support the stilter's weight while he or she pulls the strings to lift a can to take a step.

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