144. Guzzah Man.
Mary Jane Roden, Brownstown, St. Ann.
One day Tacoomah, Monkey and Baboon were driving a truck with rum to the wharf fe master. When they were going, Anansi said to Tacoomah they have a dance an’ they invite Monkey an’ Baboon to the dance. An’ while they was dancing, Anansi an’ Tacoomah go t’ief t’ree puncheon of rum from Monkey an’ Baboon, come back to the dance, see Monkey an’ Baboon was dancing. Anansi say,
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Guzza man, Guzza man, Brudder Nansi drink rum. Oh,
Guzza man, Guzza man, Guzza man. So Anansi tie Tiger, tie him ’til he jump, Tiger.
Guzza man, Guzza man, Guzza man. Tom drunk, but Tom no fool,[[176]]
Tom drunk, but Tom no fool, la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
145. Fowl and Pretty Poll.[1] [[Note]]
Mary Jane Roden, Brownstown, St. Ann.
Fowl invite Pretty Poll to chapel, den Pretty Poll said to Fowl, “Kyan’t go to chapel for me soso fedder.” Poll said to Kyan-crow, “Make go to chapel.” Kyan-crow said to Pretty Poll him kyan’t to go chapel for him peel-head young man.
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Come we go to church, Pretty Poll. Come we go to church, Pretty Poll.
Pretty Poll, wan’ get married Same time as a so so fedder.
John Crow say he be de bride, same time he, peel-head young man.
[1] Jamaica negroes speak of the groom at a wedding as “the bride.” [↑]
146. The Cumbolo. [[Note]]
Sarah Findley, Santa Cruz Mountains.
An ol’ man an’ a wife was travelling going on walk when they hear a nice music was playing an’ the ol’ man say to his wife, “O Quasiba,[1] hear dat sweet music singing over yonder. I like [[177]]to know where dat music come from.”—“Ol’ man, you tak time walk an’ we soon hear where dat music from.… But Bruddie, dat ol’ Cumbolo dat was singing las’ night!”—“Den you mus’ come let we dance de Cumbolo, Susan, we all a Cumbolo!” (sing and dance)—
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Susan, da’we all a Cumbolo. Susan, da’we all a Cumbolo.[2]
[1] Two school-mistresses in Bethlehem, Santa Cruz Mountains, gave the following list of “born-day names” which belong to negro children in Jamaica according to the day of the week upon which they are born. See Jekyll, int. x (l.c.).
An old woman who was telling me of some obeah practises assured me that the obi-man (sorcerer) did not use a man’s common name when he wanted to bewitch him, but his “born-day” name.
| Boys | Girls | |
| Sunday | Quashy | Quashiba |
| Monday | Quaco | Juba |
| Tuesday | Cubena | Cuba |
| Wednesday | Cudjo | Bennie |
| Thursday | Quaw | Abba |
| Friday | Cuffy | Pheba |
| Saturday | Quamin | Benneba. |
[2] The music was recorded by a colored boy who was organist in the church at Bethlehem. The dance (also called “calimbe”) is performed at wakes, two men holding a couple of sticks parallel while a third dances upon them to the strains of the song. [↑]