| Traditional Christmas Entertainment in the Caribbean -Jonkunnu in Jamaica By Hazel D. Campbell Historically, Christmas was the only free time the slaves had in which to enjoy themselves, free from work and Massa's domination - usually for three precious days. In the sugar islands of the Caribbean, although there are significant similarities stemming from common African heritage and European influences, different ways of jollification' sprung up and were maintained after slavery was abolished. In Jamaica, up to the fifties and sixties, at Christmastime masked Jonkunnu bands could be seen roaming the streets of towns all over the country playing their lively music, dancing and prancing to entertain the crowds which would invariably be drawn, as a prelude to collecting money. Although a few straggling groups may still come out in the rural areas, sadly, Jonkunnu bands no longer roam the streets of our towns and they are now seen mainly as entertainment at cultural events. Today's children are missing out on the heady feeling which a Jonkunnu band could add to the already magical Christmas season. Jonkunnu, ( sometimes spelt Johnkonnu ) or John Canoe originated during slavery when the slaves made the best use of the free period to entertain themselves by forming bands and dressing up in various costumes. Along with a music band usually made up of gumbay drums, banjo, grater and fife they would roam the land entertaining both Great House and slave quarters and gaining some small payment for their trouble- money, food or liquor. Some of the original bands in the eighteenth century, judging from the Belasario prints in the National Library of Jamaica, appear to have been quite elaborate with Set Girls prettily arrayed in stylish red and blue costumes, (these did not parade on the streets but entertained in houses) Ko-Ko or Actor Boys reciting garbled Shakespeare and other theatrical pieces, and House or Jawbone Jonkonnu who carried the replica of a Great House on his head. As with our language and other cultural forms the masquerade was a mixture of European and African influences. In later days, when I knew Jonkunnu, the masquerade had evolved into well known if less elaborately dressed figures. The basic characters were the horned Cow Head, Horse Head, Policeman, Wild Indian, Bellywoman, Devil, Pitchy-patchy and perhaps a Bride. Tinsel and mirrors helped to give shine to costumes which often varied according to the area of origin. However, the characters in the band all wore mesh masks with faces painted on and each character had a special role and sometimes a special dance. Bellywoman's dance always created laughter as she spun her exaggerated pregnant belly in time with the music of the band. The costumes were colourful, even Devil who, although dressed in black, had red decorations here and there, and Pitchy-patchy, as his name suggests, wore a costume made up of very colourful strips of cloth sewn in tiers. Pitchy-patchy was a pretty sight, a restless character, twirling and leaping and dancing everywhere. Props included Cowhead's whip, Policeman's baton, Bellywoman's very prominent pregnant belly and Devil's trident. Characters would interact with one another, example the policeman trying to keep order in the band, as well as with their audience. The music of the drums and fife was very compelling and onlookers could hardly refrain from dancing in the streets as the band went by. Sometimes they would sing a very repetitive song. The cry "Jonkunnu a come!' or the music heralding their approach always created excitement as people poured out of their houses to line the street to watch the masqueraders dancing, cavorting, entertaining before passing a container around for contributions. Children, big and small, and even adults would run away screaming as Devil jabbed at them with his fork, Horsehead snapped at their heels or Cowhead tried to butt those in his path. Of course, both drums and players would be 'sweetened' with white rum. Many of the female roles like the bride were mostly played by men wearing wigs and other female paraphernalia. I remember an amusing incident in the 60's in a rural area when an older man, drunk with too much Christmas fare and drink tried to solicit one of the 'women' in a passing band. He got immediately sober when his hand encountered body parts that belied the manner of dress. He spent the rest of the day in a corner babbling: 'I thought she was a woman.' Other Caribbean countries have still vibrant Jonkunnu celebrations, notably The Bahamas and Belize. For an academic discussion of Jonkonnu in Jamaica see articles in the Jamaica Journal available from the National Library in Jamaica. There are other colourful Christmas celebrations in the Caribbean as each island seems to have its own traditional way of celebrating the season. Recently, I came across a booklet " Christmas Sports in St. Kitts and Nevis" - subtitled; Our Neglected Cultural Tradition - written by Frank Mills, S.B.Jones- Hendrickson with Lessons by Bertram Eugene. The introduction in this interesting little booklet tells us: "It was great fun to be chased by the bull -once there were seven, all in flaming red costumes and some even with red-tipped horns on their heads - or be smashed in the head with Bad Crook's wad of cardboard, or even to observe the Mummies from a safe distance as the 'Fatho' repeatedly struck the Giant, with his eight-foot 'hunter' or cattle-skin whip." Variations on the same themes? It is truly regrettable that, despite attempts to revive these customs from time to time, so much is being lost. A common problem seems to be their origins as entertainment for and by the slaves and their descendants- today's working class- and as such the activities are frowned on by those who would rather not relate to 'those people'. Also, certainly in Jamaica, the cost of producing a band and the absence of sponsors are additional reasons for their demise. Maybe, too, it is simply that in earlier times, without television, people were more receptive of this kind of street entertainment. It would be interesting to start a memory lane of traditional Christmas entertainment throughout the islands of the Caribbean. |
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| The spiderman Anansi is an integral part of Jamaica's cultural history |
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| Anansi (a.k.a Anancy) the cunning spiderman came to Jamaica with the slaves from West Africa. So his stories contain lions and tigers and even an �asunu� (elephant) which we certainly don�t have in Jamaica. However, Anansi stories are part of our cultural heritage. Jamaica embraces Anansi to the extent that some people think that his trickster mentality is a national trait. Recently a prominent educator stirred up a storm in a teacup by saying that Anansi stories should be banned from our schools since they encouraged the children to think that �trickery� is the best way to succeed. However, with the advent of round- the- clock televison and cable facilities, and the demise of story time when old folk would entertain by telling and re-telling our folk tales, many Jamaican children now know few, if any, Anansi stories. Anansi stories invariably show hero Anansi getting the better of his opponents by tricking them into doing what he wants. But, every now and then he gets his come-uppance -meets his match. Quite a few of the stories deal with the problem of famine or shortage of food, but often while others starve, Anansi manages to get a bellyful. In his introduction to �Anancy and Miss Lou� (Miss Lou is the Hon Louise Bennet-Coverley -a famous Jamaican poet and storyteller) Mervyn Morris has this to say: �In many of these Jamaican stories, Anancy is credited with godlike power. He is the prime cause why pig mout long, why rat live in a hole, why mongoose love chicken meat, why fowl eat cockroach, why dog fight cat, why owls hoot, lizards croak and mosquitoes hiss. - Is Nancy mek it.� He is a past master of using the other animals� vanities to bring about their downfall. Miss Lou herself describes Anansi: �the trickify little spiderman who speaks with a lisp and lives by his wits, is both comic and sinister, both hero and villain of Jamaica folk stories. He points up human weaknesses and shows how easily we can be injured by our greed, or stupidity, or by confidence in the wrong people and things.� Anansi stories are best told in the �patois� spoken by most Jamaicans. Writing and reading them robs them of the richness of the patois and the nuances which can only be communicated orally. Like most stories in the oral tradition, the details of the stories change as they pass from mouth to mouth, so although the main storyline will be recognisable, several versions of a story will exist. Also, depending on the teller, the language will range from standard English to deep patois sometimes even in the same sentence. The story will also be embellished in different ways to suit the particular audience at the time of telling. Here is one of my favourite Anansi stories which my mother told me, and which I have had the pleasure recently of telling my grandchildren on an night when there was no electricity and, as in the old days, storytelling was the best way to entertain ourselves. |
| CULTURE NOTES Anansi and Jonkunnu |
| Anansi and the Magic Pot Once upon a time there was a great famine in the land. People could hardly find anything to eat. Like the other animals, Anansi and his family were starving. One day Anansi was walking in the forest and his foot kicked over a pot which was just lying on the ground. �What a pretty little pot!�Anansi exclaimed. �Don�t call me pretty pot,� the pot replied. �So what a must call you?�asked Anansi. �Call me �do mek mi see!� � Anansi feel kinda foolish, but since him never had nothing better to do him call out, �Do, mek mi see!� Immediately the pot begin to cook up a delicious dinner of chicken and rice and peas. The smell nearly kill Anansi who was very hungry. Him eat an eat till him belly nearly burst. But as he was about to wash out the pot in the nearby river, the pot shouted, �No! No! You mus never wash me. Leave me same way you find me.� So Anansi turn down the pot and hide it under some leaves and went home with a big bellyful. When he reached home his wife and children eagerly asked him if he had brought any food. He gave them two little wingy bananas he had found in the bushes and didn�t tell them his secret. Next day Anansi returned to where he had found the pot. To his great delight, it was still there so he quickly said, �Do mek mi see!� And the pot boiled up another delicious dinner - yam and salt fish and mackerel and green bananas. Anansi had a feast. Everyday Anansi eat him belly full but him never share the secret with him family. However, Anansi wife soon begin to notice that her husband seem to be getting quite round, and him was looking very well-fed in the midst of the famine. She couldn�t understand this because nowadays he never bothered to take any portion of the meagre food they could find for the family. He always generously declined to eat anything at home. So one day she decided to follow him when he left the home. She follow Anansi and see when him tek out the pot and she hear him say ,�Do mek mi see,� And her eyes nearly pop out of her head when she see the big pot of food the pot boil up.. Anansi sit down and eat it all off, licked his lips and turned down the pot and covered it over with leaves. As soon as he left, Mrs Anansi wasted no time. She ran home and fetched her starving children, then she turned over the pot and said, �do, mek me see', just as she had heard Anansi say it.. The children were overjoyed as the food bubbled up in the pot - ackee and saltfish, dumpling and yam and coco, fry chicken! Food them never see for a very long time. Them eat an eat until there was nothing left. Now, Mrs Anansi is a very tidy lady, so when the food finish, she tek the pot down to the riverside and even though the pot tell her not to wash it, she still give it a good wash, and then she put it back where Anansi leave it Next day, Anansi arrive, turn over the magic pot and say,�Do mek mi see!� Nothing happen. �Do mek mi see!� Anansi shouted over and over, but the pot remained quiet. Then he examined it and discovered that it was quite clean. He quickly realize that somebody had found out his secret but had washed out the pot and washed away his luck. He was very vexed. He ranted and raved through the woods and as he walked along kicking everything out of his path he stumbled on a whip. �What a pretty little whip!� he exclaimed. �Don�t call me pretty whip,� the whip said. �So what a mus call you,�Anansi asked �Call me �do mek me see,�� the whip replied. So Anansi thinking he would get more good fortune cried out, �do mek me see�. Immediately the whip set upon him and give him a good beating. Anansi plenty vex now, but him see a way to get him revenge gainst the person who wash out him magic pot. All along him had a suspicion that it was him wife. So him go home and announce how him find a present in the forest but him have to hide it cause somebody might want to take it away. Mrs Anansi she just as greedy as Anansi so she hide and follow him and see where him hide the whip, but Anansi never do anything him just look pon the whip and go away. Mrs Anansi she come out of hiding and tek up the whip. �What a pretty little whip!� she said �Don�t call me pretty whip," said the whip. �So what a mus call you?� Mrs Anansi ask. �Call me �do mek me see�.� Hear Mrs Anansi, �do mek me see,� The whip turn pon her and give her one piece a beating. And Anansi who was nearby laugh and laugh till him side nearly split. Jack Mandora me no choose none! (This disclaimer ends all folk stories. The story teller wants none of the bad luck to follow him.) |
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| Characters in Anansi Stories by Hazel Campbell In the collection of Anansi stories by Louise Bennett - Anancy* and Miss Lou, Sangster�s Book Stores, Kingston, Jamaica, 1979 - few of the characters are human. Humans are usually kings, and their daughters, the princesses, who greedy Anansi is usually anxious to marry, mainly for their legacy. The other characters cover a wide range of insects and animals - mosquito, wasp, rat, cat, dog, snake, cow, goat, mongoose, monkey, donkey, lion, and tiger. Anansi tricks many of these animals out of their good fortune, or is the direct cause of some peculiar trait which they possess; e.g. is Anansi why hog mouth long; why rat live in a hole; why fowl eat cockroach, and so on. In one story, fire becomes a character. When Anansi first sees her, she is a pretty little dancing girl. He invites her home and as she travels along the path of dry twigs that he has laid down to lead her to his house, she becomes larger and larger and turns into a large �outa size� woman, which burns down his house. According to the story it is this flirtation with Fire which causes houses to be burnt ever since. The stories are male dominated; usually the characters are introduced as Bredda this or that - Bredda Rat, Bredda Tiger and so on. Females are represented mostly by the princesses, and of course, Anansi�s wife. He is not always married, however. In many stories he is free to go courting as it pleases him. Most of the characters have their generic names, so we know exactly who they are. One puzzling character, however, is the one named Tacooma or Tucumah or Tacoma or Tookooma - like many stories out of the oral tradition, the spelling varies in the written form. Tacooma is an interesting character; he is often stronger and braver than Anansi and is the only character which Anansi can�t always outwit. In �Anancy is Riding Horse� in Folklore from Contemporary Jamaicans by Daryl Dance, we get this account: � - the same Tacuma -Anancy is always a stupid , an im always mek Tacoma turn him fool.� According to the experts Anansi stories came with the slaves from the Gold Coast. In Twi Ananse means spider (their spider god) and nkituma, his son has become the Tacooma in the Jamaican Anansi stories. Daryl Dance identifies Tacooma as �A frequent character in Anancy tales. (sometimes) Tacuma is Anancy�s companion, sometimes his son, sometimes his spouse, sometimes his neighbour� . This multiplicity of characterization, it seems to me makes Tacooma even more wily and �trickify� than Anansi Like many other Jamaicans of the pre-television/cable era, I grew up with Anansi stories as one of the main means of entertainment, and somehow I can�t remember a story that sounded as if there were two spiders in it. Neither have I seen an illustration of a story with two spiders. Always it is just Anansi, up to his tricks. It seems to me that another spider in the stories would have stolen some of Anansi�s uniqueness and intrigue. And, since Tacooma is at least as smart as Anansi; is bigger and stronger, I wonder, how come we have Anansi stories and not Tacooma stories? *The Caribbean spelling has traditionally been Anancy. Fairly recently the African spelling Anansi is being substituted. |
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