Trinidad and tobago carnival

A brief history of the Trinidad and Tobago carnival from Egypt to the Canboulay riots

1. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CARNIVAL

2. WHAT IS CARNIVAL? It is an annual celebration of life found in many countries of the world Usually lined up to mark the beginning of lent but sometimes takes place at other times of the year.

3. Ancient ORIGINS Egypt Ancient Greece ( Dionysys ) Rome (Lupercalia, Bacchus) Anywhere that Catholics settled

4. OSIRIS

5. In Europe the Pagans believed that evil spirits ruled the world during winter, and that they had to be driven out for summer to return. Many Pagans also held celebrations at the end of successful harvests heading into winter and were a way of thanking the spirits.

6. In ancient Greece, Dionysia was a large spring festival that was held to honour Dionysus who was the god of wine

7. Pagans celebrated their gods and the festival was popular, so what did the new church do? Reinvent the festival Called it ‘’farewell to flesh’’ (carne vale) in preparation for the devotions leading up to Easter. Encouraged the preparation for the strict Season of lent.

8. Who came to our shores with carnival? The FRENCH plantation class settled in Trinidad along with their slaves. Settlers came from Grenada, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Dominica. As long as they were catholic and swore allegiance to the king of Spain.

9. How did the French celebrate carnival? Masked indoor balls Hunting Role reversal

10. Role reversal costumes

11. Damme Lorriane Monsieur Gwo Koko'- a man with large testicles, Madame Gwo Tete'- a woman with huge breasts, 'Monsieur Gwo Buden '- a man with a big belly,

12. African traditions African dance and music traditions transformed the early carnival celebrations in the Americas, as African drum rhythms, large puppets, stick fighters, and stilt dancers began to make their appearances in the carnival festivities.

13. African influences on carnival traditions One African tradition was people parading around the village, circling it wearing masks and brilliantly coloured costumes, whilst singing and dancing to bring luck to the village. For the village to have luck it meant scaring away the spirits of angry dead relatives, which is why many carnival parades feature symbols of death.

14. CANBOULAY (CANNES BRULEES)…BURNT CANE harvest festival when cane in the plantations caught alight, causing a fire to break out, the enslaved were rounded up by the plantation owners and were forced into the danger area to collect all the cane surrounding the fire to prevent its loss

15. Canboulay activites Revelers carrying burning cane. Stickfighting Drumming Singing in Kaiso tents Circling the village in masks and costumes

16. The colonial authorities attempt to ban canboulay

17. CANBOULAY UPRISING OF 1881 – FIGHT AGAINST THE OPPRESSIVE BRITISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT 1846 – The outlawing of masks and masquerading 1849 – Laws allowed to police to actively restrict “dancing and music at specific times…in the streets and towns.” 1880 – All uses and forms of African percussion were banned.

18. FEB 28 TH 1881, POLICE OFFICERS WERE DISPATCHED

19. resistance People had brought broken rum bottles and stones along with them for protection in case the police began to attack them for breaking the colonial laws

20. . The police and Canboulay participants clashed for almost three hours across Trinidad, in Port of Spain, Princes Town, and San Fernando. Towards the end of the clash, after a British man was struck in the head with a stone, police opened fire, killing one and wounding two others. The crowd of Canboulay attendees then eventually dispersed in fear of their lives. Four police officers were killed in total, with another thirty-eight injured.

21. While Canboulay in its original form was eventually cancelled, it is re-enacted every year on Carnival Friday, and it undoubtedly paved the way for the modern Trinidad Carnival and its associated observations, and will forever signify the resilience of Black culture against restrictive and destructive forces. Other traditions from East Indian culture also made its way into the festival, making it a true ‘’Trini’’ festival.