INDO-CARIBBEAN

Indian Caribbean Folklore Spirits

Review BY LAURA TANNA

Published by Chakra Publishing House, edited by Kumar Mahabir and illustrated by Aneesa Khan, Indian Caribbean Folklore Spirits (2010) “provides details of the presence of a brood of spirits believed to roam the Caribbean since the abolition of slavery.”
2010. 32 pp. 9 x 7¾ inches.  Paperback.
TT$45. ISBN 978-976-95049-5-0-2-0.

Rarely have I enjoyed reading a volume on folklore as much as that by Kumar Mahabir, author of Indian Caribbean Folklore Spirits. His work is made all the more mesmerizing through the exquisite illustrations by Aneesa Khan which appear on every one of the 32 pages of this delightful book.

Originally intended as a children’s narrative, it soon became apparent to Mahabir that the depth and interpretation of the material took the book in another direction. He has achieved that most difficult of tasks, while not writing an “academic” book, he has made culturally rich material simple enough for youngsters to read and appreciate, while simultaneously conveying enough significant information as to be relevant to general readers and academics alike.

Although versed in both African and Jamaican traditional narratives, I had never heard of four of the five Indo-Trinidadian spirits of whom Mahabir writes. I greatly appreciated that with each spirit treated, he not only named them, but also indicated for the general reader how to pronounce those names: The Raakhas – pronounced Rha-khas, Churile – pronounced Choo-ryle, Saapin - Sah-pin, Dee Baba – Dee Bha-bah and the Jinn, Sheik Sadiq – Jin Shake Sah-dik.

Mahabir follows with great effect the plan he concisely lays out in his short introduction. Each of the five chapters provides a description of the spirit, followed by actual testimonies by elders, then mention of similar spirits in the Caribbean, even more interestingly mention of similar spirits in distant cultures, and then, in recognition of modern expectations of forms beyond the written word, he refers to related films, and finally provides occasional explanatory end notes. These, coupled with the bibliography, direct the more than casual reader towards deeper paths of learning.

What makes this volume of especial relevance is that he recognizes the value of orality. In a correspondence to me, he writes: “Time is against us in recording the actual voices of our elders who are passing away with their rich knowledge.” He recognises that much of what has made the Caribbean a distinct cultural centre is derived from those who migrated without the benefit of the written word, but who nonetheless retained aspects of their cultural heritage through repetition of oral histories and narratives.

In this book, Mahabir now shares with us a fragment of that knowledge in depicting five figures from traditional life. These Mahabir accentuates with testimonies after each story. The 13 testimonies included in the book were collected from nine different locales and the age of those interviewed ranges from 70 to 98 years old. These Indian Caribbean folklore spirits, of which the elders speak, form part of the heritage brought by Indians who migrated to Trinidad and Tobago between 1838 and 1917.

Much of what the elders heard, they learned as children. Narrators display repeated regret that they didn’t pay more attention to what their grandmothers or aunts related to them. The influence of the ajii, the paternal grandmother, recurs throughout the old-timers’ testimonies.  Says 70 year-old Mrs. Reshma of Biche: “As children, we did not have enough sense to know what was a spirit.”  On the other hand, 88 year-old Mr. Suresh of St. Augustine remembers vividly: “Old time people used to say not to go out after six. There are some bhoot [evil spirits] that can take many forms, just as water can change into different shapes of ice.” I am not quite sure why Mahabir translates bhoot as an evil spirit here since, in India, the Hindi word is translated to mean a common ghost, not necessarily evil, unless he inferred that from what Mr. Suresh said.

The wisdom of elders, whether practiced by old-timers themselves or used to educate and inculcate discipline in their youngsters, obviously intrigues the author. He treats such beliefs with respect for he knows the repositories of these oral histories and customs will not be with us much longer.

Mahabir himself was born one of seven children in the countryside of Plum Mitan, near the town of Sangre Grande in 1955 at a time when there was no electricity there. His parents, who had the benefit of primary education only, owned a cocoa plantation, grocery and liquor shop in the village but obviously implanted in him a respect for the knowledge of ancestors since Mahabir chose to pursue a doctorate in Anthropology at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Research for his doctoral dissertation on Traditional Health Beliefs and Practices of Postnatal Women in Trinidad may have given him insights into how some of the narratives have been used to perpetuate the subservience of women. See the notes following the chapter on the Churile where this material may be of interest in gender studies. Another testimony of anthropological interest is that of 74 year-old Mr. Azard’s explicit directions for how to sacrifice a cock to Dee Baba.

Mahabir writes that the way in which the old folks speak is just as interesting as the contents of what the old folks say, so in all but one of the testimonies he retains the nuances of their speech. Indeed, the testimonies sound so authentic that one has the feeling of being seated with an elder while he or she recalls tales from their youth, adding immediacy to the experience of reading the material.

The author’s attempt to demonstrate similarities in beliefs across cultures throughout the world, whether from Africa, Asia or Europe, contributes to making this Caribbean-produced book something of interest to readers internationally. But it is artist Aneesa Khan’s lush, almost lyrical imagery which elevates this appealing volume into a Caribbean creation of both literary and visual excellence.

Laura Tanna is the author of Jamaican Folk Tales and Oral Histories.