The Characters of

Michael Anthony

The characters of the traditional Carnival are the figures which evolved when the Carnival was introduced to Trinidad by the Creole French. In other words, this is not speaking of the characters of bands, which are planned and designed.

When Carnival was brought to Trinidad as a result of the Cedula of Population of 1783, which led to a mass immigration of French Caribbean settlers into Trinidad, Carnival had already taken a definite Caribbean form, for these immigrants who had come from islands like Martinique, Guadeloupe, San Domingue, and even from Grenada, (which was then British), had already settled in the Caribbean for many decades. Nevertheless, their Carnivals reflected the traditions of their French past as well as the strong influences of the life they had lived here for generations — the plantation life and its contact with African slavery.

Pierrot

Perhaps the first character to look at should be the Pierrot, not the Pierrot Grenade, who is a very different and rough character. The Pierrot comes to us just as he was in the France of old, an elegant character. Originally he was a dandy in fluffy white in the old French pantomimes. With the French in the Caribbean he did not remain the character in fluffy white, but his garment was made more colourful and he became the beau of the Creole French Carnivals. This was one of the characters that was always portrayed, was admired by the African slaves who stole glimpses of the Carnivals in the great houses of the estates, and w ho, after slavery, was imitated by these slaves in the Carnival of the Streets.

Pierrot Grenade

The name Pierrot Grenade seems to suggest that this w as a variation (o r version) of the Pierrot which came out of Grenada — La Grenade to the French. The originators of the Pierrot Grenade made no concessions to elegance, but seemed to have thought a great deal about self-defence, for within the Pierrot Grenade’s costume of rags and sackcloth there were all sorts of protection, and indeed, under the part of the costume covering the head was, usually, an iron pot!

And well was this so, for the Pierrot Grenade, who carried a whip or stick, had a clear-cut role, which was to beat into submission any other Pierrot Grenade who he met in the way

The Stickman

Although the Pierrot Grenade became a figure of the Trinidad Carnival, he was not so prominent in some areas probably because there were some Carnival characters infinitely more popular, whose profession, during the Carnival, was to burst each other ’s heads. Their weapon was a smooth, well-prepared knotted stick, preferably of poui. In fact, they used poui so frequently that the word “poui” became another name for the blow of a stick.

These stickmen never paraded or found themselves in the mainstream of Carnival, but were there mainly for the purpose of “playing stick.” Mainly the stick-playing would be held in the area in front of a liquor shop, and the proprietor would usually offer liquor prizes for the stickmen who could draw blood. There were two main factors which led to their popularity Firstly, the drama of the prospect of two men “carraying” in a ring — a ring formed by curious spectators — with the prospect that there would be the flow of blood. And the second big attraction was the dramatic drumming and tensionbuilding songs w ith which drummers would accompany the contest. These songs were called “calindas,” and it is said the chanters could heighten tension to such a pitch, and the drummers, also chanting, could send a message to the stickman of their choice as to the instant there was an opening. That signal could very often determine the outcome of a contest.

There were certain areas of Trinidad where stick-playing was such an integral part of the celebrations that there could hardly be a satisfactory Carnival without it. Villages such as Mayaro, Guayaguayare and Moruga had a reputation for their stickmen. In t he 1930s and 1940s stickmen such as O’ Farrell of Grand Lagoon, Mayaro and R afael of Pierreville, Mayaro were known far and wide. Indeed, many of the calindas of the time, like “O’Farrell, O’ Farrell!” w ere composed on some of these stickmen.

Although it was the immigrants from the French Caribbean who introduced Carnival into Trinidad, stick-playing was one thing they had nothing to do with. Stick-playing came directly from Africa, although it must have been somewhat modified in Trinidad.

M oko Jumbie

Another Carnival character that came directly from Africa and had to do neither with the French culture of Europe nor of the Caribbean, was the character of continued on page 8 from page 7

Moko Jumbie. In its African context Moko Jumbie could not have been a ‘carnavalesque’ figure but a figure related to one of the rituals of the dead. The significance of this solemn, ceremonial figure walking on stilts is completely lost to us, but the appearance of Moko Jumbies in the early Carnivals daubed in the black and white paints of ritual mourning, depicts, it is held, the journey of the spirit of the dead.

In t he riotous m asquerades of th e 1840s, when Carnival was celebrated by the m asses for the first time, the appearance of the Moko Jumbie caught the eye. The term “jumbie” which is known as “zombie” in the United States and Jamaica, means “spirit” or “soul” of t he dead. Charles Day, an English traveller, who was in Trinidad for the Carnival of 1848, appears to have seen such a character, and was quite fascinated by it.

The Wild Indian

Yet another traditional character of the Trinidad Carnival that has nothing to do with those who brought the Carnival here, and at the same time has nothing to do with Africa, is the Wild Indian. Indeed, the Wild Indian character may be the only one of the traditional Carnival characters that could be said to have been born in Trinidad.

It was a common thing for members of the Guarahoon tribe of Amerindians to cross over in boats from Venezuela and come to Trinidad, and this may have been the case even before Columbus passed by. Indeed, the Amerindian name for Trinidad was Kairi, meaning the island close to the continent, and since Trinidad was home to several tribes of Amerindians it is not surprising that the Guarahoons came here frequently Even as late as the turn of the 19th century and probably later — Guarahoons were known to come here, trading in such things as dogs, monkeys, parrots, plantain, beads, and the like. Sometimes they landed at San Fernando, but they often landed at Moruga, and walked up to Princes Town, where there might have been many of their kind, for Princes Town had been an Amerindian Mission, and was known by the name of “Mission,” until this changed in 1880.

After landing at Moruga the Guarahoons would pass through Pr i nces To wn , where there were great prospects for trade. And maybe it was after they stayed there a little while they would take the Manahambre Road to San Fe rnando. ( Not much is known of Manahambre but he is thought to have been an Amerindian chief). Anyway, the land route of the Guarahoons from Moruga to Princes Town was named after these Amerindians: hence Indian Walk

Charles Day, the English traveller who watched Carnival in 1848 and wrote about it, declared of people imitating these Guarahoon Indians in a band. He said: “ The best embodiments were the Indians of South America, daubed in red ochre, personified by the Spanish peons from the M ain — themselves half –Indian. Many of these had Red Indian quivers and bows…”

It can be assumed the Guarahoon or “Wild Indian” was imitated and brought into the Carnival even before 1848.

These Guarahoon Indians were very colourful in their way They walked in single file, when they were happy they danced, in their own Amerindian style, at times they sang and chanted, and they walked with long staves. Their unexpected appearances so impressed themselves on the Trinidadian way of life, especially in the south, and they had such a reputation for wandering, that it was a common thing, up to about the mid-1950s, to hear a mother scolding her truant and carefree child with the words: “You is a Guarahoon?”

It must have been from the very start of the Carnival of the Streets in 1840 that when that festival was approaching, groups got together to imitate th e Guarahoon Indians. One hundred years later the author of this article was fascinated with the depiction of these “Wild Indians.” The masqueraders imitated the way of dress — a bodice red with roucou (or ochre) and strung with beads, with a short roucou-stained skirt. They had long hair hanging in plaits at the side of their cheeks, and long staves, and in parading in the streets they walked in single file. When they met a curious crowd and wanted to put on a display, they danced around in a ring and sang what sounded so much as a genuine Guarahoon song. The song might be “Gran falia, katuama, Kat, kat, kat ai kobie Gran falia katuama……..”

Or it might be “Mama dywok salvacota enaim,” or one of dozens of songs composed by them — or could they have been genuine Guarahoon songs? These Wild Indians have come right down to our times, but since the Guarahoons are no more, at least as “Wild Indians,” the Wild Indians in the Trinidad Carnival seem to be disappearing fast.

The Bat

The Bat is an old and intriguing masquerade although it is hard to say when it entered the Carnival. It seems though that from the 1920s, at a time when the vampire bat was causing a lot of concern, the figure of the bat became common at the Carnival.

It is quite common for people to have their favourite costumed character, and for a great number of people the favourite is the Bat.

Gorgeous in silvery black outfit (on occasions brown) and resplendent weblike wings, which are always kept open — and why not? For they are the glory of the costume — the figure of the Bat in a band is always greatly admired. Also, the people who portray Bats take their portrayal very seriously. They never jump up with abandon, for Bats are never seen in that light. They make their dainty, timid-like steps, and blow their shrill little whistle, softly continued on page 10