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The Stop
In West African folklore, the obeah (also spelled obia) is a ‘gigantic animal that steals into villages and kidnaps girls on the behalf of witches.’ However, in certain Caribbean cultures, the term refers to ‘forms of sorcery and witchcraft’ which are ‘usually overpowering and extremely evil.’ For example, in consultation with a practitioner known as an obeahman or obeahwoman, believers interested in revenge will bury specifically-chosen ‘potent or bewitched objects’ for the purpose of ‘bringing misfortune upon a particular party.’1 These objects are also known as obeah, and in some areas using the word itself remains ‘prohibited by law.’
Originating in ‘native West African religions’ which were brought to the Caribbean through the slave trade, the practice of obeah extends throughout the Caribbean, Latin and South America. Drawing on elements of these West African religions, obeah reinterpreted and ‘Africanised’ Christian beliefs to create a complex set of practices that sit at the ‘intersection of politics and spirituality.’ Obeah is described as the ‘magical art of resistance’ because in the face of oppression, it gave its ‘practitioners and those that sought its aid a sense of empowerment.’ Despite the ‘constraints and violence’ of colonialism and colonial rule, in many communities obeah practitioners assumed positions of power and were respected and revered - both by the members of their communities, but also by the European colonists who feared its power.
Traditionally, the practice of obeah follows two interrelated paths. The first falls within the so-called ‘supernatural’ realm, involving the ‘art of casting spells, the warding off of evil, the conjuring of luck and wealth, and the protection of oneself and others.’ The second path concerns ‘medical authority and involves the knowledge and use of certain plants and animal products to heal illnesses.’ The first path was seen as threatening by European colonists as this ‘supernatural power was often wielded in the name of retaliation for violence against enslaved Africans.’ The second path, largely influenced by indigenous Caribbeans who had a profound understanding of the medicinal nature of the local flora and fauna, was ‘generally seen as less threatening than its supernatural force’ - but was still mocked by European colonists.
Today, obeah - while still practiced in some Caribbean communities - has gone the way of many indigenous and tribal religious practices. Migration from the West Indies in the late 20th century saw obeah practitioners move to ‘metropolitan urban centres like Miami, New York, Toronto, and London,’ where they assimilated into other Afro-Caribbean traditions like Santeria or Voodoo. Colonial-era laws affecting its practice in various Caribbean countries have been challenged and are slowly being reconsidered, but - like so many things that are just, fundamentally cultural differences - obeah remains an often misunderstood and feared set of beliefs.
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to Goodnight Sushi Everywhere, a very short (1:16) animated video composed of a few characters putting themselves to bed, looped into a dreamlike minute. It’s silly - but rather hypnotic.
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea (1966). The novel serves both as a feminist response and prequel to Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847). Telling the background story to Mr Rochester’s marriage from the perspective of his Creole wife, Antoinette, the story is Rhys’s version of the character who becomes Brontë’s ‘madwoman in the attic.’ The plot runs from Antoinette’s youth in Jamaica, to her miserable marriage to the Englishman Rochester, who renames her Bertha, declares her insane and takes her to England where he removes her from the world by imprisoning her in his mansion. Obeah plays a prominent role throughout the novel - especially in the scenes set in the Caribbean - so the novel is particularly appropriate for today’s Stop. Definitely worth a read.2
Look for Wide Sargasso Sea at an independent new or used bookstore (or, hey, the library) near you!
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is a selection of five trip-hop tracks which came to mind when I was researching today’s Stop. Atmospherically dark, yet smoothly beautiful - I thought they fit it perfectly:3 ‘Sandpaper Kisses’ (Martina Topley-Bird, 2003), ‘Sour Times’ (Portishead, 1994), ‘Almost Done’ (Morcheeba, 1996), ‘Black Milk’ (Massive Attack, 1998) and ‘Bad Dreams’ (Tricky, 1996). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from Jean Rhys, author of Wide Sargasso Sea:
‘Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
It’s not only revenge - common reasons for using obeah include attracting a partner, finding lost objects, resolving legal issues, getting someone out of prison, attracting luck for gambling or games, etc. I first came upon obeah in the late 80s in an English class (see note 2) and haven’t really given it much thought since - I usually default to its Haitian version, Voodoo (or Vodou), when it comes up. Sources for today’s Stop include Obia (Britannica), Obeah (North Eastern University) and Obeah (Wikipedia).
I first encountered Wide Sargasso Sea in one of my favourite English classes at Davidson. Taught by Gill Holland, ‘British Fiction from Dickens to the Present,’ exposed me to many great works including Lord Jim, Adam Bede, and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner - all of which remain with me to this day.
I love many, many types of music, but mid-90s/early 00s trip-hop has a special place in my heart and these are five of my favourite tracks. In fact, I was surprised I’d not selected any of them before now. So, a bit of a run-down: Martina Topley-Bird is one of the finest British solo artists I’ve ever heard, and the self-titled album from which ‘Sandpaper Kisses’ is taken is definitely worth a serious listen. (A young collaborator with Tricky, she provides the vocal on the fifth track in today’s list). Both the Portishead and Massive Attack tracks are from definitive albums that would have been on many stereos at the time, and the Tricky track just oozes atmosphere. It’s also very cool - and if you remember hearing it when it came out, you’ll agree that there was nothing like Pre-Millennium Tension.
What this says without saying it is how underrated Exuma's 1970 album "Exuma, The Obeah Man" is.