A Jumbee, jumbie or mendo is a type of mythological spirit or demon in the folklore of some Caribbean countries. Jumbee is the generic name given to all malevolent entities; however, there are numerous kinds of jumbees, that reflect the Caribbean’s complex history and ethnic makeup, drawing on African, Amerindian, East Indian, Dutch, English, and even Chinese mythology. People in English-speaking Caribbean states that were colonized by the British commonly believe in this creature. The belief is also held by practitioners of Obeah, a form of mystical wizardry that encompasses traditional African beliefs and Western European, primarily Anglican, images and beliefs concerning the dead. Various islands – including Antigua and Barbuda in the east, Jamaica in the north, Guyana and as far south as Trinidad – have had a long held tradition of folklore that includes the jumbee. Different cultures have different concepts of jumbees, but the general idea is that people who have been evil are destined to become instruments of evil (jumbee) in death. Unlike the ghost folklore which represents a wispy fog-like creature, the jumbee casts a dark shadowy figure.
The people of the Congo spoke of what they believed to be Vumbi - ancestral ghost - which makes one wonder if there is any correlation between the words Jumbi and Vumbi.
In the folk religion of Montserrat, a jumbie is a ghost, or spirit of the dead. Jumbies are said to possess people during ceremonies called jumbie dances, which are accompanied by jumbie drums. Four couples perform a set of five progressively quicker quadrilles during the jumbie dance, switching out with other couples until someone is eventually possessed by a jumbie. Jumbies receive numerous small offerings from Montserratians, such as a few drops of rum or food; they are also the subject of numerous superstitions. It is believed that the spirit separates from the body three days after death, at which point the havoc begins. Jumbies are believed to have the ability to shape-shift, usually taking the form of a dog, pig, or more likely, a cat.
There are many recommended ways to avoid or escape jumbee encounters:
- Leave a pair of shoes outside the house door, so jumbees (who do not have feet) spend the entire night trying to wear the shoes before moving into the house.
- Leave a heap of sand or salt or rice outside the house door, which compels jumbies (more so the Firerass, or ole Higue) to count every grain before the sun rises.
- Upon coming home late at night, walking backwards may prevent a jumbee from following one inside.
- If a jumbee chases a person, crossing a river may stop them. It is believed that jumbees cannot follow over water.
- Leaving a rope with many knots outside the door step will distract them. Jumbees love to try to untie knots; in doing so, they may forget about the house occupants.
- "Music of Montserrat". Montserrat First, Montserrat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) Inc. Archived from the original on January 7, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2005.
- Messenger, John (1999). "Montserrat". Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume Two: South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Routledge. pp. 922–926. ISBN 0-8153-1865-0.
- Guyanese folklore at Guyana Outpost
Hochschild, Adam. "King Leopold's Ghost, A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa." Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin, (1998, p. 15).