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Great Cult Diversity
If language is something characteristic of Caribbean society, their religious beliefs are also strong, and when tourists go through the small towns in Barbados or Antigua, maybe they’ll think there are not enough people around, to fill so many churches. You can find from Catholics and Anglicans to the new generations following different evangelic creeds. People take going to church on Sunday mornings very seriously, and you can easily confirm watching people that, dressed with their best clothes, walk through the town’s streets to some religious service.
Religion, like language, is a living proof of their capacity of adaptation. Though masters imposed Christianism to their slaves, these responded enthusiastically and soon created their own prayers. Many of the social institutions, youngsters associations or education centers, are strongly linked with churches. People in the Caribbean have brought their own influences to Christianism. In many cases, African religious practices have mixed with the Bible, originating the rise of different local cults.
In other cases, African religious faiths are, more or less, unaltered. Obeah, a form of witchcraft, whose roots are in the African west, has followers in all islands, though few of them accept it. Their practices are similar to those of vudu in Haiti, including the use of magic enchantments and exotic potions, with the intention of causing damage or to cure diseases. The obeah sorcerer is a feared and respected figure, among members of the community.
Back to Africa
Though their origins are in Jamaica, the rastafaris have spread all around the Little Antilles, and is another clear example, of the development of religious ideas coming from different sources. In this case, is a mixture of the literal interpretation of the Old Testament, and African mysticism. Their aim is to vindicate the pain of the black people, gathering them in the promise land of Ethiopia. Ras Tafari was the name of Emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1974), who is adored as a god by the members of this movement. Not all of them, however, believe in going back to Africa, but what attracts them are the ways of life the rastafari propose, that goes from rebellion against authority to a strict devotion to the cause.
The Hindu community in the Caribbean is easily recognized thanks to their religion. In islands like Trinidad and Guadeloupe, where thousands of immigrants arrived after the abolition of slavery, towns are now full of Hindu temples with images of Krishna, Shiva or Rama. The praying flags wave outside the houses. The Indian communities celebrate with traditional music and dances, their religious festivities like the Phagwa or Diwali.
Living in Harmony
A proof of the tolerance among the Caribbeans is that conflicts have rarely arisen between members of different religions. There was a time when a campaign against African religion took place, accusing it of being “superstition” or “black magic”, though this is part of the past. Maybe the new evangelicals have a tendency to preach against the obeah sorcerers and those of their kind, but their message is not welcome by many people. This tolerance affects also some other aspects of life, and maybe explains why in the East Caribbean, despite poverty and expert’s predictions, there have not been major social conflicts since independence.
It’s always dangerous to generalize and stereotype maybe indulgent, even when they are well intentioned. And, however, words or phrases like “relax” or “take it easy”, are very frequent in the islands, and reveal, partly, their vision of life, and the personal relations of their inhabitants, who doesn’t like rushing or contradictory situations. Some tourists find it hard to adapt to their relaxed way of life that they understand, is a typical lazy attitude of people from tropical weather regions. But they must be patient, because irritating won’t solve anything, in the Caribbean rushing is not considered a virtue.
If there’s a common characteristic of all the people that converged here along history, it is their positive vision of life, and their capacity to take things as they come.
The Creole culture highly values liberty and this includes the right for everyone to live their way. Tolerance and respect are also much appreciated virtues, maybe because they know how life was without them, and this also applies to foreigners. And it is because here, everybody knows exactly what this means.
Wise Words
In Barbados conversations, some old English proverbs are used that you will find funny:
Handsome don’ put in pot: if you want it, it will cost you. News don’ lack a carrier: there is always someone telling gossips. Two smart rats can’ live in de same hole: two liars will never agree. Goat head every day better than cow head every Sunday: it’s better to be well treated every day than receive a great treatment just sometimes. Head en’ mek fuh hat alone: use your common sense. Pretty-pretty things does fool li’l children: superficial stuff impresses naives. A eyeful en’ a bellyful: just because you can see it, doesn’t mean you can touch it (women say to men). De higher de monkey climb, de more ‘e show ‘e tail: tell me what you boast about, and I’ll tell you what you don’t have. Se las’ calf kill de cow: risking too much can have horrible consequences. Fisherman never say dat ‘e fish stink: people never say bad things of themselves.
Papiamento
The local language of the ABC Islands, used in the Parliament, books and newspapers, is Papiamento, a mixture of different dialects without an established orthography.
Popular believing
To drive away duppies, or ghosts, some islanders put sand next to their house’s door so they can sleep peacefully, because the ghost has to count each grain of sand before coming in.
Calm life
Creole culture prices liberty a lot, and it includes the right of each person to live as he wants to.
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