Glossary | theswingingbridge

GLOSSARY

Berta Gonzalez

“Words are ghosts, ancestors on this side. They are not symbols. They are alive and sensate-- full of flesh and stone and jagged edges. Word jumbies” (Espinet 5).

Cannes Brûlées

Meaning: Burning Canes.

In the time of slavery, the slaves were rounded up whenever a fire occurred in the cane fields. These slave groups were followed by their masters, who whipped, tortured, and urged them to harvest the cane before it burned down. Since Trinidad eventually became a French colony, the French passed on the tradition of the carnival festival before their Lent. When slavery was abolished on August 1st, 1834, the slaves were able to partake in the carnival. One of the ways in which they celebrated was by mocking the days of Cannes Brulees, a celebration which later became known as Canboulay.

Sources:

“Cannes Brulee.” My Panyard. n.p. n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.mypanyard.co.uk/History-Cannes-brulees.html>

“Carnival.” Nalis. National Information System Authority, 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.<http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Research/SubjectGuide/Carnival/tabid/105/Default.aspx?PageContentID=78>

Cowley, John. Carnival, Canboulay, and Calypso: Traditions in the Making. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Print.

Calypso

Meaning: An Afro-Caribbean musical genre that was created in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1900s.

Calypso, also synonymous of kaiso, is the central musical genre of Carnival. Many scholars and artists contest the origins of calypso, such as HolIis Liverpool and Errol Hill, who believe that many of calypso’s roots lie in West Africa. However, Calypso has undergone a sequence of changes. For example,in the early 1900s, it moved from French creole to English, and at the end of the century,it produced, the contemporary genres of Soca and Chutney Soca. Calypso has historically served a variety of purposes, including political and social satire, praising events and political figures, and as a voicing the everyday life experiences and concerns of ordinary people. .

Source:

“Calypso.” Nalis. National Information System Authority, 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.<http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Research/SubjectGuide/Music/Calypso/tabid/104/Default.aspx?PageContentID=73>

“History of Calypso.” NCCTT. National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago, 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.<http://www.ncctt.org/new/index.php/carnival/history-of-carnival/history-of-calypso.html>

Carilee (Karela)

Meaning: Commonly known as bitter gourd or bitter melon in English.

Bitter melon is a kind of plant whose fruit and seeds are used to make dishes such as thoran, theeyal, pachadi or curry. Bitter melon also has great medicinal value; it is commonly used to treat anything from intestinal disorders to skin infections. This plant can also act like insulin in order to reduce blood sugar.

Source:

“Bitter Gourd.” Recipe Clout. India Server, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://recipeclout.india-server.com/bitter-gourd.html>

Dougla

Meaning: A person of mixed African and Indian ancestry.

This word originally derived its meaning from the northern Indian word, “dogla.” In Bihar, India, this word was used to describe the “bastard” children of an inter-caste union. Traditionally, this word was used to describe those who were impure or “two-faced.” Although in its traditional meaning the word carried a negative connotation, recent research suggests people of African and Indian descent in Trinidad have begun to adopt the term and ethnicity.

Source:

Regis, Ferne. “The Dougla in Trinidad’s Consciousness.” History in Action. The University of the West Indies, Apr. 2011. 2.1 (2011). Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://uwispace.sta.uwi.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2139/11131/Article%201%20-%20regis.pdf?sequence=1>

Divali

Meaning: Celebration known as, “Festival of Lights”

The Divali festival is five days long and celebrates the triumph of light over darkness. In honor of this day, people light small clay lamps called “diyas” and ask for wealth, prosperity, knowledge, health, and blessings from the Goddess of Wealth. Fireworks, lighting candles, extended feasts, colorful decorations, and exchanging gifts are also common during this period. Traditionally, the Divali festival stems from the Hindu belief of Lord Rama triumphing over the demon of darkness, King Ravana. The festival usually takes place during the Fall season, when “no moon day” or Amavasya occurs, so with this festival they can drive away the darkness of this day. Today, many Hindus in Trinidad celebrate the festival and the day of Divali is recognized as a national holiday.

Source:

“Diwali Festival.” Diwali Festival. Society for the Confluence in India (SCFI), n.d. 18 Dec. 2014.<http://www.diwalifestival.org/>

"Official Public Holidays." Government of Trinidad and Tobago. 14 Dec. 2014. < http://www.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/portal/ttconnect/CitizenDetail/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/gortt/wcm/connect/gortt+web+content/TTConnect/Home/Official+Public+Holidays>

Houngan

Meaning: Priest in the Vodou religion.

A male houngan has the same duties as a female manbo, they both serve as priests in the Vodou religion. Each houngan (or manbo), has the final say in what is right or wrong in their community and determines the necessary steps to take when faced with an issue. A houngan (or manbo), is often one with a high degree of responsibility in the community since they become the community’s spiritual father (or mother, in the case of a manbo). They are usually regarded as wise, experienced leaders in their communities.

Source:

Hebblethwaite, Benjamin, and Joanne Bartley. Vodou Songs in Haitian Creole and English: Chante Vodou and Kreyòl Ayisyen Ak Angle. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2012. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.

Hebblethwaite, Benjamin. "The Scapegoating of Haitian Vodou Religion: David Brooks’s (2010) Claim that “Voodoo” is a “Progress-Resistant” Cultural Influence." Journal of Black Studies 46.1 (2015): 3-22.

J’ouvert Celebration

Meaning: The first phase of Carnival, beginning in the early hours of Carnival Monday and comprised of more traditional and oppositional masquerades.

J’ouvert stems from the French patois words meaning “day open,” since the celebration begins at 4am on Monday. During this festival, people dress in demon or monster costumes and cover themselves with oil, paint, mud, chocolate, or anything of the sort. J’ouvert originated during the time of slavery in the Caribbean. Plantation owners would host extravagant masquerade balls while their slaves, unknowingly to their masters, would stage their own smaller parties with elements of their beliefs, oftentimes mocking their masters. When slavery was abolished in 1838, these small slave parties transformed into the renown J’ouvert festival. J’ouvert celebrates darkness instead of light, which is a contrast to the traditional Diwali Indian festival. However, J’ouvert celebrates the victory of the oppressed over the oppressor, denoting the overall notion of endurance and strength that unites both the Indian and the African cultures in the Caribbean. J’ouvert also consists of “ole mas,” the portion of J’ouvert where masqueraders compete in traditional and satirical costumes for a prize dressed in their own homemade costumes. Some of the traditional mas characters include devils, Indians, or midnight robbers. This portion of J’ouvert is a contrast to the more modern and commercialized “pretty mas” portion of Carnival, which follows on Monday and Tuesday.

Source:

“J’Ouvert.” Itz Caribbean. n.p. n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.itzcaribbean.com/carnival/jouvert/>

“The Birth and Evolution of Trinidad Carnival.” Discover Trinidad and Tobago. Mep Publishers, 2013. Web. 30 Dec. 2014. <http://www.discovertnt.com/articles/Trinidad/The-Birth- Evolution-of-Trinidad-Carnival/109/3/32#axzz3NwwazT6b>

Kala Pani

Meaning: Black waters.

Kala Pani refers to the ocean that countless of Indian men and women had to travel across when they became migrated as indentured laborers to the Caribbean (and to other parts of the world, such as East Africa). When new job prospects and opportunities became available to Indians abroad, many decided to take a risk and make the journey. This, however, resulted in being banished from their homes in India or losing their varna status. The voyage across the ocean was a taboo in India and those who crossed the kala pani were often viewed as pariahs in their communities in India.

Source:

Mehta, Brinda. "Engendering History: A Poetics of the Kala Pani in Ramabai Espinet's the Swinging Bridge." Small Axe: A Caribbean Journal of Criticism 21.21 (2006): 19-36.

Manbo (Mambo)

Meaning: Priestess in the Vodou religion.

A female mambo has the same duties as a male houngan (see Hougan). She has the obligation of maintaining the religion’s traditions, protecting the community, and keeping in touch with the lwas, or spirits. A manbo also performs religious ceremonies, heals, creates potions and spells, initiates new members, reads dreams, and predicts the future. Manbos, as well as houngans, are usually extremely respected and reputable members of Haitian society.

Source:

Bob Corbett. “Introduction to Vodoo in Haiti.” Webster University, 1988. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.<http://www2.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/voodoo/overview.htm>

Roti

Meaning: Indian flatbread

The word roti derives from the Sanskrit word that means “bread”. Its origins in the Caribbean can be traced as far back as the 1840s, when contract laborers migrated from West India and brought with them their traditions and culture. It is an Indian, pancake-like bread that is made from flour and can be stuffed with foods such as curried chicken, shrimp, goat, or other proteins and vegetables. Roti is eaten in several countries, such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, South Africa, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Source:

“Caribbean Roti.” Itz Caribbean. n.p. n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.itzcaribbean.com/food/caribbean-food-glossary/caribbean-roti/>

Shiva

Meaning: The Auspicious One

Shiva is the third deity in the Hindu trio of Gods, following Brahman and Vishnu. According to Hindu beliefs, Shiva is in charge of creation, maintenance, and destruction of earth. It is also believed that he creates beneficial change because of his power to destroy imperfections. Because of this, he embodies both good and evil in Hinduism. These contradictions also parallel two extremes of his nature: that of the ascetic and the hedonist. The relationship he has with his wife, Parvati, is the middle ground that consolidates the two dichotomies of his nature. The Shaivism branch of Hinduism principally worships Shiva.

Source:

“Shiva.” BBC, 2014. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/deities/shiva.shtml>

Vodou (Voodoo)

Meaning: The word “vodou” itself means “spirit.” However, this is used as the name of the official, creolized religion found predominantly in Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora.

Vodou is a syncretic religion with aspects of both Roman Catholicism and the traditional religion of the Dahomey people (what is today Benin), as well as Yoruba, Bakongo, and Taino religious beliefs. Vodouisants primarily believe in a divine, omnipresent God they call Bondye. However, they also believe in lesser deities they call lwas, or loas, which tend to the daily needs of their followers since they believe that Bondye is too supreme to interact with the people. Vodou emerged during the time of slavery in the Caribbean French colonies out of the constant worship of the lwa, where slaves had to suppress their traditional religions and were obligated to practice Christianity.

Sources:

Gelder, Ken. "Postcolonial Voodoo." Postcolonial Studies 3.1 (2000): 89-98.

McAlister, Elizabeth. “Vodou.” Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/632819/Vodou>