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Background information
Made by: Charles Harrington 1998 San Juan, Trinidad
Carnival traditions are found in countries in The Black Atlantic World where those forcibly displaced from their African homeland by The Atlantic Slave Trade found themselves under Colonial Powers who had a Roman Catholic Heritage (Spain, Portugal or France). The popular traditions of Catholicism, including the pre-lent celebration of carnival, were adopted by the slaves, both as a substitute for the their home traditions and within an official Catholicism that forbade rival practices. The way the local former African traditions and Catholicism mixed varies from place to place. Trinidad is one of southernmost of the chain of islands commonly identified geographically as the Caribbean and part of the Black Atlantic World. The original Amerindian population of Trinidad was largely annihilated during the first decades of European settlement and replaced by the West and Central Africans brought to the island as slaves. Today, Trinidad is the most cosmopolitan of the Caribbean islands with a population of diverse ethnic origins. African heritage and traditions powerfully influence the visual culture of Trinidad, but the influence of the East Indian cultural traditions is growing in importance. In Trinidad the carnival, or Mas, as it is known in Trinidad, takes place just before Lent and is the focal point of modern Trinidadian culture. Carnival origins lie primarily in French Creole (a term used to describe both the fusion of languages and, in some contexts, the people of mixed African and European descent), and West African traditions from the Plantation period. This was the period when people from Africa were captured and transported in large numbers to work the sugar plantations as slaves The Midnight Robber is a fearsome character from the older traditions, and the elaborate and 'hideous' hat is always decorated with skulls and skeletons. It should be emphasised to pupils that the Midnight Robber headpiece is part of an entire costume that was intended to be worn as part of a live performance rather than statically displayed in isolation in a museum. The headdress is worn with matching capes, American cowboy-style baggy trousers and shirts. The identity of the masquerader is hidden by a mask, goggles or beard. The costumes express ideas about power and death and their hats can mimic the architecture of Hindu temples or Islamic mosques. Midnight Robbers are one of the characters that appear at mas, and can have names such as 'Agent of Death Valley', 'Tombstone' or 'Benbow the Brave'. These masqueraders are fierce and intimidating, they blow whistles to attract attention and carry a dagger, sword or axe. They extract money from their victims (to pay for the costume) and portray themselves as supremely powerful, notorious and frightening characters. Their notoriety is based on invoking famous characters, events and robberies, such as The Great Train Robbery; the Bible, history books and fiction all feature in the reference sources used. Built into the character of the robber is the ability to raise enough money to reimburse the cost of the costume and to earn a little extra for himself. The robbers accost unsuspecting spectators in the street and try to frighten them into handing over money. The spectators might pay up quickly and run or stay longer to hear a whole speech. Midnight robbers also meet each other in the street and have spontaneous verbal battles or meet at traditional battle locations to use the speeches which they have prepared. Generally the man who plays a robber would come up with his own concept and design for his costume. Robbers are known to have themes peculiar to themselves and usually sew and build their entire costume. In some cases they commission craftsmen to build particular elements, however there is always an element of secrecy. The whole idea is known only to the robber until he reveals himself at carnival time. In the past there were many variations, blanket robbers with brightly patterned cotton blankets, bag robbers made from hemp sacking, white robbers made from all white cloth and hunting robbers dressed in ragged clothes covered with fig leaves. Today there are so few robbers that most are referred to as midnight robbers. |