| Index de l'article |
|---|
| Caribbean Stories |
| Page 2 |
| Toutes les pages |
I love all exciting story content reflecting Caribbean culture, but my favorite Caribbean Stories are of spirits, magic and other interesting other-worldy things of lore. Such Caribbean Stories give the sweet feel of stories told everyplace in the Caribbean, and can entertain, inform and transport away. As a child, I experienced our rich storytelling tradition as part of the fabric of everyday life; and I listened to such stories told as stories, and stories told as real even if fantastical happenings. There are certain generally accepted rules to the actions of many of the natural as well as supernatural players in the Caribbean Stories penned by me and presented here as part of Caribbean Folklore, and my extended commentary below is intented to introduce as well as set the stage for your enjoyment. Bakkoo
Whether bakkoo or baccoo or any the other variations on the spelling, this troublesome, trickster spirit is a great favorite. Everyone loves to hear about fantastical bakkoo sightings, and about the well known activities and antics of the bakkoo. I hear tell that my grandfather saw one in the wee hours of the pre-dawn morning. It was running on its short, powerful legs going about its business. Likely up to no good. Probably heading back from doing some wuck for its keeper. It ran past him and paused for a quick, probing look and with a guttural hmmmmm. My bakkoo story is jam packed with lots of what I know you want to hear about the bakkoo as it gets up to its old tricks. Don’t open that bottle! Be careful!
Bakkoo lore appears to be more established in Barbados, Curacao, Grenada, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago, but sure to be enjoyed by all. Interesting tidbit: so far it seems to me that the lesser known bolom from at least Grenada appears to share certain characteristics with the bakkoo but it has to be fed whole cows, sheep and such, rather than the steady diet of milk and bananas necessary to care for a bakkoo, but I would love to hear from you on this if you know any different.
Old HigueA bloodsucking witch with lots of twists, there’s lots to explore about this evil spirit in female form. A reasonably well-established feature of St. Vincent, Guyana, and Jamaica, old suck also makes an appearance as Soukouyan (and other spelling variations) in at least Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, and St. Lucia.
From my Old Higue story:
Every child who is any child knows the powers of the Old Higue, and what that means: The Old Higue waits until the early hours of the morning and when everyone is asleep; then the Old Higue sheds its human skin; then the Old Higue travels in a ball of fire searching for victims; then the Old Higue slips in through the keyhole of the house of its chosen victim; then the Old Higue sucks the blood of a child dry, dry, dry! Oh, the deep fear of it is enough to cause a child to remain awake all night, every night.
Connections are often made between the female soukouyan and the male lagahoo, also a part of Trinidad and Tobago lore, with lagahoo also a changeling, but also characterized by the pulling of chains. And the rolling calf of Jamaica and Belize (also May cow in the Cayman Islands and steel donkey in Barbados) possesses fiery, blazing eyes like that of the old higue traveling in a ball of fire, and rolling calf does also make loud noise with the clanking and pulling and dragging of chains. These legends of lore are obviously connected, with too much overlap to be mere coincidence, but it must be conceded that there isn’t a clear logic or consistency to the connections. The possibility of a wider base of West African legendary demons has been suggested, but this has not yet been established.
Obeah
Whatever your sensibilities and once you’re in the know, you know that you can’t have a discussion of Caribbean folk culture without touching on obeah. And when you went for that reading that last time, you knew good and well what you were hoping for! And let’s not quibble around the fact that going to a reader is not the same as looking to have obeah wuck done! But even if you think what could be the harm in a little bit of oils or herbs, and maybe a few psalms or other incantations, going in for secret obeah beliefs and rituals to get your way in the world might just not be the way to go unless you know what you’re doing. And my Obeah Story: The Obeah Woman May points this out for you.
And I thought enough of the obeah woman May to give you more of her for your reading enjoyment in The Obeah Woman May: A Caribbean Novel of Mystery and Magic. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself cheering for May even as she goes about her mysterious, and even, maybe, nefarious, business. After all, she’s providing a service, isn’t she? And why did anyone go to see her, anyway? For defensive measures because it takes obeah to fight obeah? Right.
And in some cases, you know, things are pretty cut and dry and people are up to no good. They’re obeahists and that’s what they do. They practice obeah for what it can do for them. Like in my narrative regarding Bobb in the short story Obeah Story: Bobb’s Prosperity. That was a horrible state of affairs that surprised everyone.
But what can you say when people really deserve what they get. Everyone knows that certain people in any number of places who stay to themselves and have powers shouldn’t be troubled with. And when you actually go to them to get obeah wuck done, then you had better watch yourself. In the short story Jukka People Story: The Grudge, Trevor definitely bites off more than he can chew when he goes to get obeah wuck done and doesn’t know enough to take such matters seriously, and to behave himself.
!joomlacomment 4.0 Copyright (C) 2009 Compojoom.com . All rights reserved."
