Everyone loves a good story. As small children, we listened intently as our parents told stories of heroes and villains and princesses and fairy godmothers. We listened to stories of our ancestors from grandparent or older aunts and uncles. When we got older, we enjoyed a good story told to entertain or a juicy piece of gossip told by an enthusiastic friend. Storytelling is a significant element in most cultures. Storytelling in Jamaican culture links them back to their African roots and make sure children never forget the dire consequences that led them to the land. Many of the stories also entertain, with their strange beings wrecking havoc. Sometimes, parents just want to scare their children.

In the early 20th century, researchers visited Jamaica twice, in 1919 and 1921, in order to record some of the folk tales. They listened to more than 60 storytellers in different regions. There was a direct relationship between the stories and music and dance. “Jamaica Anansi Stories” says that researcher found two dominant elements in the stories. The article said the first thing is “an absorbing interest in the magical effect of song which, at least in the old witch tales, far surpasses that in the action of the story; the second, the conception of the spider Anansi as the trickster hero among a group of animal figures.” The stories are reminiscent of Native American folklore.

Storytellers preserve Jamaican folklores for many generations, ensuring that their culture and heritage is known my future generations. These tales of different forms of “duppies” or ghosts came from African slaves who were brought to the island.

Folk legends are also part of Jamaica’s storytelling history. Jamaica Insider says that some well-known folk legends include “Brear Anansi” or “brother Spider.” The story is about trickery and deceit and about naughty “big boy.” Jamaican parents tell their children these stories to stir fear in their hearts. Many Jamaican adults recall being paralyzed with fear after hearing stories of a “duppy.”

In additions to folk legends, proverbs and fables are integral to Jamaica’s storytelling legacy. Jamaican proverbs allowed slaves to communicate with one another without their masters understanding what they were saying. Although they no longer have to deceive slave masters, these proverbs are still used by modern-day Jamaicans as local idioms. Jamaica Insider says “they are used as a short and quick way of conveying certain thoughts and feelings without using their long and elaborate English versions.”

Interestingly, Jamaica is a melting pot in the Carribean, with cultures as diverse as Africans, Europeans, East Indians, Chineses, Arabs, Jews, and Persians. There are no indigenous people on the island; all of them are imports from somewhere else. Even though all of them have had some influence in the country, African heritage seems to domininate the region. All groups on the island have adopted the stories of African and made them a part of themselves. They live by their nation’s motto, “Out of Many, One People.” This statement exemplifies Jamaica’s feelings about their cultural diversity.

Sources:

Jamaical Anansi Stories by Martha Warren Beckwith
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Jamaica_Anansi_Stories/Preface

http://jamaica-insider.com/jamaica_culture.shtml