#caribbean folklore

[preethecaribbean]

The night-soil men can see a bird walking in trees. It isn’t a bird. It is a woman who has removed her skin and is on her way to drink the blood of her secret enemies. It is a woman who has left her skin in a corner of a house made out of wood. It is a woman who is reasonable and admires honeybees in the hibiscus.

Jamaica Kincaid, from At the Bottom of the River

[sharlbranch]

A lil (late) Good Friday horror comic.

There's a well known superstition that one must never go swimming, or even to the beach on Good Friday because without fail someone has drowned.

there was a discussion on caribbean Twitter talking about making a horror short story/film about this superstition and I couldn't get it out of my head, so this was my take on it!

experimenting with black and white and watercolour brushes in fresco!

[seasonofthewitch06]

I want to learn more about African-American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latino, and continental African folklore!!!

Especially the horror stories!!! I already know some but there’s so much I don’t know!

Can anybody please suggest any books or resources that talk extensively about folklore from these communities 🙏🏾?

[forgedfromlove]

The Legend of Gang Gang Sarah

From Folklore and Legends of Trinidad and Tobago, by Gérard A. Besson:

“The legend of Gang Gang Sarah, the African Witch of Golden Lane, has its origins in the latter half of the 18th-century.

On a stormy night she was blown from her home in Africa across the sea to Tobago and landed quite safely at the village of Les Coteaux. From there, she journeyed to Golden Lane in search of her family, who had long ago been transported there. She lived to a great age and is remembered for her wisdom and kindness.

She became the loving wife of Tom, whom legend says she had known as a child in her native Africa.

After her Tom died, wishing to return to her native land, she climbed a great silk cotton tree and tried to fly, not knowing that she had lost the art of flight as a result of having eaten salt.

To this day the names of Tom and Sara can be seen inscribed upon the headstones of their graves. where they have lain side by side for close upon two hundred years.”

Photo by Lisa Levi.

[iloveethnicities]

Feasting and communal meals are integral to Afro-Bahamian religious and cultural practices, reflecting the deep interconnection between spirituality, community, and sustenance. These gatherings often transcend the act of eating, serving as sacred moments of fellowship, ritualistic devotion, and cultural continuity. The tradition draws from African ancestral practices, where food and communal sharing symbolize unity, respect for the divine, and a way of honoring the spirits of ancestors.

In Afro-Bahamian religious contexts, such as Obeah, Junkanoo-related ceremonies, and syncretic Christian traditions, feasting is not merely a social event. It frequently marks a spiritual occasion such as a birth, death, healing ritual, or a religious festival. The preparation and sharing of food can be seen as a form of offering to deities, spirits, or ancestors. Specific dishes are often prepared with spiritual intent, incorporating elements believed to attract blessings, protection, or favor.

For example, certain foods might be imbued with spiritual power through prayer or rituals before being shared. The act of eating together is often accompanied by singing, drumming, and storytelling, enhancing the spiritual ambiance. The communal meal becomes a sacred space for the transmission of oral traditions, collective worship, and spiritual rejuvenation.

Types of Foods

The foods served during these gatherings are steeped in symbolic meaning and are typically influenced by African culinary traditions, local ingredients, and colonial history. Staples include rice, peas, fish, cassava, plantains, and various root vegetables. Dishes like pigeon peas and rice, conch salad, and fried fish often take center stage. Additionally, specific herbs and spices might be included for their purported spiritual or medicinal properties.

Traditional beverages, such as bush teas made from local plants, may also feature prominently. These drinks are sometimes believed to have protective or purifying qualities, particularly when consumed during spiritual ceremonies.

Role in Mourning and Ancestor Worship

In Afro-Bahamian mourning practices, communal meals are essential components of wakes and other post-funeral rituals. These meals serve dual purposes: comforting the grieving family and honoring the deceased. Special foods might be prepared to reflect the tastes or cultural identity of the departed, and portions are sometimes symbolically set aside for the ancestors or spirits.

These events often include prayers and libations, where drinks or portions of food are poured out as offerings to the spirits. The shared meal thus becomes a bridge between the living and the dead, reinforcing communal bonds and the continuity of the spiritual lineage.

During festivals like Junkanoo, feasting takes on a celebratory character. Massive spreads of traditional dishes are prepared, and eating together becomes a way of celebrating cultural identity and resilience. These meals are often accompanied by music, dance, and vibrant storytelling, reflecting the joyful and communal spirit of the occasion.

In healing rituals, communal meals might feature foods prepared according to specific spiritual instructions. For instance, participants may fast or abstain from certain foods before the ritual and then break the fast together with a specially prepared meal. The act of eating together reinforces communal support and symbolizes the restoration of balance and harmony within the individual and the group.

Cultural and Social Dimensions

Beyond their spiritual importance, feasting and communal meals in Afro-Bahamian religious practices function as social equalizers. They create spaces where community members of all ages and social standings can come together as equals. The preparation of these meals often involves collective effort, further fostering unity and cooperation.

Feasting and communal meals in Afro-Bahamian religious traditions are deeply symbolic acts that blend spiritual, cultural, and social elements. They provide a platform for honoring ancestors, expressing gratitude to the divine, fostering communal ties, and celebrating shared heritage. These gatherings continue to serve as a vital expression of Afro-Bahamian identity and spirituality, ensuring that the traditions of the past are preserved and passed down through generations.

[schweizercomics]

Companions of Christmas 13: Pitchy Patchy

Once a highly decorated Akan military commander, the man who would become known as Pitchy Patchy was stolen from his home and enslaved in Jamaica, but he was able to escape to freedom and, operating from the Maroon towns that he helped to defend, would regularly lead raids against the plantations to free others.

Since the folks that he rescued didn’t have access to the kinds of ornate trophies and medals that he’d worn in the past, they would honor him with a simple strip of colored cloth as a sign of their gratitude for his valor. He saved so many people that he was eventually festooned with these cloth strips, to the point that they covered his entire body.

At Christmastime, he would parade boldly through the streets during the festival of Jonkonnu (or Jankunu, or Junkanoo, etc), and he continues to be a part of Jonkonnu parades to this very day.

[briefbestiary]

Disturb not the one who stares up at the luminous moon.

Some say that if one manages to distract him from his focused attention to the Moon, he will begin to chase them in order to suck out their brain using the palm of his hand.

[3rdeyeblaque]

On March 24th we venerate Brother John Mason Brewer on his birthday🎉

An iconic folklorist, historian, scholar, educator, storyteller, poet, & quadlingial speaker, John Mason Brewer dedicated his 50-year long career, between the early 1900s to the 60s, to the documentation & preservation of Afrikan & Afrikan descendant narratives across the South, particularly his home state of Texas.

It was from the love & education instilled within him by his father & grandfather before him that spurred his barrier-shattering academic career, pursuing his B.A. in English & M.A. in Folklore, & professional career as a lifelong educator/professor and lecturer; in an era that many deemed nearly impossible to fathom. Though long before he was awarded prestigious grants for his outstanding contributions in research and the education of folk traditions among our people in the U.S. & the Caribbean & befriending the likes of U.S. presidents & other notable figures, Brother Mason spent his life fascinated by the tales & belief systems of our people that, over the years since the Great Migration & WWII, became best preserved in the South. He wrote and published a plethora of poems, books, and articles on Afrikan-American & Afrikan-Carribean history & folklore. If not for his unyielding presence in higher academia & public research institutions, and relentless pursuit of the preservation of Afrikan Ancestral voices in oral tradition & literature, centuries of wealth in knowledge and history of our people would be lost.

We give libations & well deserved 💐 today for his ancestral teachings & wisedom, delivered to us via the masterful art of storytelling and poetry & for lifelong work in unearthing & preserving a legacy ancestral voices never to be forgotten.

Offering suggestions: share/read his literary and academic work, a Methodist Bible/verse, & libations of water.

[mangoscriber]

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Expression sheet for El Sombrereo or Tye Mad Hatter for my LatAm AiW AU. Trying to show expression through one eye is already hard enough, but doing it one eye that is just an infinite void into space is another task. Also...HATS ARE HARD!! Overall, I am really happy with the number of ways I was able to contort his the one thing that gives him expression. Which is your favorite?

[havatabanca]

[fyeahgothicromance]

I'm reading about Caribbean and Latin American folklore creatures/cryptids and a lot of them have janky feet?? Jumbies and other spirits with backwards feet or one hoof and one human foot, or just one foot (La Patasola), or no feet (trauco).

And sure shape-shifting and spells and murder are recurring themes, but the feet... Why?

[preethecaribbean]

Illustration of a Caribbean mermaid from Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World.

In Jamaican folklore, the River Mumma is a Water spirit who protects the rivers. The fish are her children. It’s said that if you find her belongings—such as a gold comb or jewellery—on the river bank, you should leave them where they are, or else!

[pensivegladiola]

Folklore: La Diablesse

In Caribbean folklore, La Diablesse is a devil haunts the edges of the woods luring men to their untimely deaths with her beauty.

It is said she traded her soul to the devil in pursuit of vanity. The existence of this deal is evidenced by one of her feet having turned into a cloven hoof.

[lilibetbombshell]

[forgedfromlove]

The Haunting of the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway

In (belated) honour of Halloween, here’s a spooky urban myth from Claxton Bay. Photo by Hayden Roach.

From Life in Trinidad and Tobago:

”This story dates back to the 1900s, where a young woman becomes the victim of circumstance in this tragic romance.

The lore says, in 1909 the daughter of a Spanish overseer on the Forres Park Sugar Estate, named Maria, fell in love with an Indian labourer who worked there. Maria’s parents, especially her father, did little to hide their disdain toward her relationship. One night, the overseer saw his daughter and her lover in what is described as a “compromising affair”, and became furious. So he waited, and when the young man left his daughter’s company, he made it clear to her that she wasn’t to see him again. But, Maria was in love, and had no intention of ending her relationship with the young man, and retorted that she’d rather die.

When his daughter refused to comply, he took an alternative approach calling upon his most loyal workers to execute the labourer. As the overseer of the estate, it was not difficult for him to persuade them to get the job done. However, word got back to Maria of her father’s plan, and was advised to warn her lover of his inevitable fate if he didn’t leave. Angry and terrified she left her home on a mission, determined to save her love. Unfortunately, Maria never makes it, on her way to him she is bitten by a snake but still she continued on, weakened by the venom, she falls to her death from the hill. Whether, the labourer is murdered by her father’s men, or they find Maria’s body before they could, is not known.

Grief stricken by the loss of his daughter, her father constructs a statue of the Virgin Mary in her memory, on the estate’s tallest hill where he pleaded for her forgiveness. Over the last century, since her death, people claimed to have seen Maria’s ghost trying to cross the Solomon Hochoy highway, where the statue still stands today, although decapitated.”

From Angelo Bissessarsingh’s Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago:

“Many motorists travelling this stretch of roadway in the dead of night have been brought to a screeching halt or worse by swerving to avoid the apparition of a young girl seen darting across the double carriageway. Some have actually stopped to explore the nearby bushes on the verge of the roadway for evidence of her flight but to no avail.

This manifestation is said to be the phantom of the dead child of Forres Park who is searching through time and space for her head, for long ago, the statue atop the hill was decapitated and the head was lost along with much of the torso.”

[gaulinwife]