In almost every corner of the world, some form of witchcraft is practiced by witches, shamans, and even the curious. And the Caribbean is no different.
Though there’s a common misconception that the ‘evil’ of Voodoo is widespread, it’s not that simple. Known as Obeah (also spelt Obia or Obeya), people across the islands have practiced for centuries, and still do today.
Despite accurate and reliable information being hard to find, like many forms of witchcraft, what we do know is that Obeah stems from enslaved Africans from the West Coast and their historical practices. There isn’t one agreed-upon way to practice Obeah, so it’s very difficult to define, and it isn’t even fully known where the word ‘Obeah’ comes from or its true meaning. Centuries of colonial rule have changed its perception from a form of magic or spiritualism to a form of evil in the eyes of many.
The 1760 Obeah Act in Jamaica saw British colonists outlaw any practice or promotion of the craft, and the law is still in place today. There was a twelve-month prison sentence for Obeah practitioners, and a six-month sentence for those who visited such practitioners or distributed “printed matter” promoting them. Harsh physical punishments from the colonial era have only fallen out of fashion in the 21st century, and the abolition of anti-Obeah laws remains deeply controversial.
In the modern day, Obeah men and women – as they’re popularly called – can be found all over the Caribbean region, as well as in the diaspora in the USA and elsewhere. With a quick search, you’ll be able to find practitioners who claim they can make and break any spell with any intention, and you can even find Voodoo dolls and graveyard dirt on sites like Etsy. But you’ll also find that Obeah is deeply feared by many Caribbeans and its practitioners described as ‘con-men’.
Closely linked with Obeah is the vast mythology of the Caribbean. The region’s folklore reflects its variety of cultures, from African to Latin American and Chinese and just about everything in between. The jumbee or jumbie is one example of this – it’s the generic name given to all ill-natured spirits and entities in the region, so much so that the word jumbie has become synonymous with evil in many Caribbean countries. Jumbie are typically described as tall, shadowy figures and are widely accepted as at least somewhat real in many parts of the Caribbean.
While clearly not socially acceptable – or even legal – Obeah is still a central part of Caribbean culture, and influences its culture through the folklore and mythology that Obeah practitioners tend to believe in. But it remains an incredibly diverse and interesting branch of witchcraft that all witches should research while practicing their craft.
Featured image credit: Obeah Man Revival (2019), Denzil Forrester. Image via Stephen Friedman Gallery.
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