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Fascinating ghosts and monsters of Jamaican folklore · Global Voices

Posted on by Gerres
Fascinating ghosts and monsters of Jamaican folklore · Global Voices

Front steps of Duppy Church, Mile Gully, Jamaica. Photo By Adam Cohn on Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Generally speaking, Jamaicans don’t really “get” Halloween. This seasonal event, popular in the United States and parts of Europe, has its roots in Celtic tradition, marking the end of the year – an ancient holiday Samhainwhose origins date back to the 8th century and even further, to the times of ancient Rome. Somewhere along the way, a custom connected in Christian beliefs with All Saints’ Day (November 1, also known as All Saints’ Day) and All Souls’ Day (November 2).

Nevertheless, Jamaicans’ aversion to Halloween appears to be influenced not only by cultural differences – like Valentine’s Day, it is often considered another imported, commercialized “Americanism” – but in particular by Christian beliefs.

One Jamaican complained:

In particular, fundamentalist church leaders and their supporters: see Halloween as a “satanic” event, while priests such as Fr. Sean Major Campbell has a different view: “Trying to combat Halloween is tantamount to imposing your religious beliefs on others. The church should devote time to promoting equal rights and justice for all.”

However, younger Jamaicans have begun to treat the occasion as fun, organizing themed and costume parties. Party promoters also see it as a way to make money; Apparently, a recent event called “The Scream” was a great success:

Either way, Jamaican folklore is full of stories about “duppies” (ghosts or spirits) and terrifying monsters. Many of them have their roots not in the Christian tradition, but in African traditions, including: Obeah.

One of the most terrifying characters is the Rolling Calf, who sometimes manifests as shapeshifterthe spirit of a particularly wicked person, such as a murderer or even a butcher. With blazing red eyes, he rolls along country roads at night, dragging a rattling chain, and is sometimes depicted as half man, half animal – usually a goat or cow.

Many of these terrifying figures from Jamaican legend have been commemorated through art and popular music. For example, Rolling Calf is theme of the poem By Louise Bennett-Coverley (Miss Lou), while other legendary assholes such as Blackheart Man, who roams the island searching for the hearts of victims and was often used as a warning to children to beware of strangers, was immortalized in Bunny Wailer song. Some suggest that it is a predatory character still valid – and was still feared – today.

Meanwhile, storytelling contemporary artist Richard Nattoo presented the River Mom character from a series of images:

It is a type of siren that haunts a specific area around the flat bridge over the Rio Cobre in Jamaica and draws people into the depths of the river. Old bridgebuilt by enslaved Africans in the 18th century, interestingly it was the site of many car accidents. The Mumma River is also a topic row by Lorna Goodison.

One of the island’s most famous legends is this one Annie Palmer“The White Witch of Rose Hall.” The Montego Bay house where she allegedly committed her nefarious acts has become one of the island’s biggest tourist attractions. The story evolved from the popular one 20th century noveland the historical facts do not fully support it, but the somewhat bleak narrative has become a basic “counterfeit story”, recreated almost daily for tourists:

So, while many reject the Halloween tradition, do Jamaicans still believe in assholes?
A dramatic event recently made the local news: Spanish Town residents were convinced that a duppy – or perhaps some kind of poltergeist – he threw stones at home, allegedly triggered by the presence of an 11-year-old boy. It was in the same city another story with a tailor’s shop and more stones being thrown, this time by its angry, deceased owner.

Other supernatural experiences are regularly reported, particularly in the popular tabloid Jamaica Star. They often concern stories about shape changeand apparently there are duplicates caught on video.

Also the history of Duppy Church gives chills down the spine of Jamaicans. The ruined Anglican church of St. George stands in the densely wooded area of ​​Mile Gully in the parish of Manchester; his assembly apparently abandoned This due to hauntings. There is a lot of history surrounding the church, and taxi drivers are afraid to stop there, especially at night. It is said that when passing a church at night, you can hear the organ playing:

Whether Jamaicans believe in ghosts or not, there are plenty of stories to tell during Halloween.