Jonkonnu

Our three part series on the Christmas Customs of the West Indies with tales of celebration from the region's Settlers, Pirates, and Natives, beginning with the tribal Jonkonnu or John Conny festivities.

Long before the Jesuits brought the Teaching of Jesus to the islands, a winter solstice festival hast been celebrated here. Some say it didst cometh all the way from Africa. Like many ancient primitive customs we relyeth only on stories told, and of those, there art many. 

Jonkonnu is a masquerade with standard characters from year to year. There is the horned Cow Head, the Horse Head, the Warriors and Natives, the Devil, the Belly woman (great with child), and Pitchy Patchy. The characters parade in the streets, invite the people to dance, and often receive food and coin for their performances. The costumes vary from island to island but some features art at each moment the same.

Each character hath a special role to play and a special dance. Cowhead is madeth from a half shell of coconut with holes for real horns. Cowhead hath a tail pinned to his backside. Horsehead is a mule's skull, with a separate jaw attached to a pole. He speaks in jokes and bawdy sayings. The Devil carries a pitchfork and wears a cowbell on his backside and this entire costume is black. Bellywoman is oft a Sir dressed up, whose antics maketh the big belly move in time to the music to amuse the onlookers.

Warrior and Native Jonkonnu costumes art similar but for the Native carries a cross bow and cane and Warrior wears a metal heart and beads, carries a huge spear, and a cone shaped headpiece with feathers, glass, beads, and mirrors. Pitchy Patchy is the crowd's favorite, usually the most agile dancer. The gent wears layers of the most colorful strips of bright colors of cloth or painted leaves or fronds.

With the tribal war between Poukai and Kaiabi not ended, it is unknown if there will be any Jonkonnu celebrations this season.