Good point made by Paddy Corea. Although I do not know of any serious researcher, commentator or analyst who claims that carnival actually 'started' after emancipation.
But I would like to throw something into the mix. There are a number of Caribbean islands with little or no French influence in their history who have masquerade traditions: ( e.g. Jamaica Jonkonnu and Bruckins Party and Guyana Masquerade).
Interestingly, these traditional masquerade characters bear a remarkable similarity to many of those found in the fracophone islands, suggesting an origin other than the French. When one considers that an easy connection can be made with West African cultural artifacts, it seems to be clear what the true origins of these masquerades are.
carnival in the west indies started LONG BEFORE EMANCIPATION. CARNIVAL WAS BEING CELEBRATED IN THE FRENCH ISLANDS 100 YEARS BEFORE. TRINIDAD WAS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE INFLUX OF FRENCH PLANTERS AFTER THE 1804 HAITIAN REVOLUTION THAT SUCCESSFULLY WIPED OUT THE PLANTOCRACY IN THAT COUNTRY. MANY FRENCH PLANTERS WERE TERRIFIED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO THEM SO THEY SOLICITED THE ENGLISH GOVERNOR OF TRINIDAD TO ALLOW THEM TO COME TO TRINIDAD THAT SEEMED TO BE A VERY PEACEFUL COUNTRY AT THAT TIME AND WITH A VERY SMALL POPULATION. SO THE FRENCH PLANTERS CAME AND WERE ALLOWED BY THE ENGLISH GOVERNOR TO BRING THEIR SLAVES AND THEY BROUGHT THEIR CULTURE AND RELIGION WITH THEM. THEIR SLAVES WERE THE MAIN ONES WHO PERPETUATED THE SO CALLED CARNIVAL CHECK OUT THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THE CHANTES AND CHANTWELLS WERE IN FRENCH AFRICAN PATOIS. KNOW YOUR HISTORY AND BE ACCURATE WITH IT. paddy corea
Comments
Good point made by Paddy Corea. Although I do not know of any serious researcher, commentator or analyst who claims that carnival actually 'started' after emancipation.
But I would like to throw something into the mix. There are a number of Caribbean islands with little or no French influence in their history who have masquerade traditions: ( e.g. Jamaica Jonkonnu and Bruckins Party and Guyana Masquerade).
Interestingly, these traditional masquerade characters bear a remarkable similarity to many of those found in the fracophone islands, suggesting an origin other than the French. When one considers that an easy connection can be made with West African cultural artifacts, it seems to be clear what the true origins of these masquerades are.
carnival in the west indies started LONG BEFORE EMANCIPATION. CARNIVAL WAS BEING CELEBRATED IN THE FRENCH ISLANDS 100 YEARS BEFORE. TRINIDAD WAS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE INFLUX OF FRENCH PLANTERS AFTER THE 1804 HAITIAN REVOLUTION THAT SUCCESSFULLY WIPED OUT THE PLANTOCRACY IN THAT COUNTRY. MANY FRENCH PLANTERS WERE TERRIFIED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO THEM SO THEY SOLICITED THE ENGLISH GOVERNOR OF TRINIDAD TO ALLOW THEM TO COME TO TRINIDAD THAT SEEMED TO BE A VERY PEACEFUL COUNTRY AT THAT TIME AND WITH A VERY SMALL POPULATION. SO THE FRENCH PLANTERS CAME AND WERE ALLOWED BY THE ENGLISH GOVERNOR TO BRING THEIR SLAVES AND THEY BROUGHT THEIR CULTURE AND RELIGION WITH THEM. THEIR SLAVES WERE THE MAIN ONES WHO PERPETUATED THE SO CALLED CARNIVAL CHECK OUT THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THE CHANTES AND CHANTWELLS WERE IN FRENCH AFRICAN PATOIS. KNOW YOUR HISTORY AND BE ACCURATE WITH IT. paddy corea
Thanks for this. Hope we see more.