Showing posts with label folklore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label folklore. Show all posts

Thursday, 26 February 2015

Konpè makak épi wèv-li

Konpè makak épi wèv-li

Story written by Claude THÉVENAZ
English Translation provided by Marvel Alves Henry


Konpè Makak té ka westé an bitasyon épi madam li épi sis yich li. Bagay té timyet wèd koté yo, piski yo pa té ka twavay. Anik Makak té ka fè ti jaden i. Madam li té ka westé an kay-la pou òtjipé sé mamay la. Yon swè, lè Makak té ka dòmi, i wèvé yon bel ti wèv. I wèvé i sété yon rwa ki té ni an pil lajan, épi li ék fami i té ka westé adan yon bèl gwo kay.

Makak té kontan!

Padan Makak té an somèy la, i kwè sa té vwé, pis i pa té sav sété yon wev. Mé lè Makak lévé lidémin èk i wè sa pavwè, sété anik yon wèv, i té faché tou bònman.
I alé oti Bondyé lamem. Lè i wivé i di:

Konpè Makak: Bonjou, Bondyé.
Bondyé: Bonjou, Makak, kouman ou yé?
Konpè Makak: Mwen byen, mé mwen ti myet faché.
Bondyé: Sa ki wivé ou?
Konpè Makak: Bondyé, kité mwen di ou sa : ki mannyè fè wèv pa ka vwé? Mwin té kay kontan si lè mwen wèvé yon bagay, i té kay fèt vwé.
Bondyé: O, sé sa ki fè ou faché a? Eben, alé dòmi èk mwen kay fè sa ou kay wèvé a fèt vwé.
Alò, Makak alé lakay li. I té kontan!

Jou sala, avan i té siz-è òswè, Makak té ja mété pidjama épi i alé dòmi pou i té sa wèvé, piski i té kwè i té kay wèvé yon lòt bèl ti wèv. Mé awa! Kou sala, Makak wèvé i té kay mò démen matin a wit-è!

Li démen matin, lè Makak lévé i té siz-è. Makak té twè twis. I anik pwè pati kouwi oti Bondyé, i pa té memm ni tan tiwé pidjama i. I kouwi, i kouwi, pas la té byen lwen ék i pa té vlé wit-è pwan i an chimeb. Lè i wivé, i té ka fè dé minit pou wit-è èk Makak té ka ésouflé.

I hélé :
Misyé Bondyé, Misyé Bondyé! Ou sé yon gwan Pè. Tou sa ou fè bon. Pa fè wev vwé, souplé, souplé! Mwen ka mandé ou, pa jamen fè wev vwé.

Bondyé koumansé wi épi i di Makak :

Ki sa ou wèvé yè òswè a?
Makak wakonté i.

Bondyé di :
Twè byen, mwen kay kouté ou ; mwen kay kité wèv menm kon ja yè a. Alò, ou pa kay mò ankò.


Makak té kontan épi i di :
Mèsi an pil, Bondyé.
Epi i alé lakay li.


Dépi apwé jou sala, Makak apwan yon lison. Lison-an sé sa: Bondyé konnet tout bagay épi tou sa i fè byen bon.

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English Translation 

Br'er Monkey and his dream

Monkey used to live in the countryside with his wife and six children. Things were a bit hard for them because they were not working. Only monkey used to tend his garden. His wife stayed at home to raise the children. One night, when monkey was sleeping, he had a nice dream. He dreamed that he was a king who had lots of money and he and his family were living in a big house.

Monkey was happy!
While monkey was asleep, he believed what he dreamt, because he did not know it was a dream. But when awoke the following day, and he saw that it was not true, that it was only a dream, he was really angry.

He went to God right away. When he got there he said:

Konpè Makak: Hello, God.
God: Hello, monkey, how are you?
Konpè Makak: I'm ok, but I'm a little upset.
God: What happened to you?
Konpè Makak: God, let me tell you, what makes dreams not true? I would be happy if when I dream something, it came true.

God: Oh, that is what made you upset? Well, go to sleep and I will make your dreams come true.
So, monkey went to his house. He was happy! That day, before it was 6 o'clock in the evening, monkey had already put on his pyjamas and he went to sleep so that he could dream, because he thought he would dream another nice dream. But no! From that moment, monkey dreamed that he would die tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m.!


The following morning, when monkey awoke it was 6 o'clock. Monkey was very sad, he made haste running to God; he did not even have time to take off his pyjamas. He ran and ran because it was very far and he did not want 8 o'clock to meet him still on the road. When he arrived, it was 2 minutes to 8 o'clock and monkey was gasping for air.
He called out:

---- Sir God, Sir God! You are a great father. All that you do is good. Don't make dreams true, please, please! I am asking you, don't ever make dreams true.
God started to laugh and he told monkey:
 What did you dream last night?
Monkey told him and God said:

 Very well, I'll listen to you, I'll change dreams back to the way they were, so you won't die any more.
Monkey was happy and he said:
-- Thanks a lot, God!
And then he returned to his house, since that day, monkey learned a lesson. The lesson is this

"God knows everything and everything that He does is very good and for our benefit."


Source of story


Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Traditions, magic, spirits, obeah, religion (Kwéyòl glossary)

Traditions, magic, spirits, obeah, religion

Trinidad and Tobago 

(Kwéyòl glossary)



1. Ala: The name of God, as He is known in Arabic and in Islam.
2. Abo-abouké: Short hunchbacked people who live on the far side of the sun
3. Ababo: Yodel used to welcome Orishas [Yoruba gods]
4. Ado: A small calabash used for making magical potions and powders
5. Awobobo: Howl used to banish evil and bring good luck to the home
6. Andjabé: Said of someone who is possessed by a devil
7. Angajé: Said of someone who has made a pact with Satan
8. Bazil: Death personified
9. Boubou: Goblin-like creature; will punish greedy persons
10. Bolonm: The spirit of an aborted child
11. Ben fèy: A herbal bath, thought to bring good luck and remove back magic
12. Benni: To bless
13. Benni kò: A prayer performed over the body of a Catholic
14. Bennédiksyon: Blessing
15. Bèlzibòb: Beelzebub
16. Bon: Good
17. Bondyé: God [general term]
18. Bondyé Bwa: Any wooden idol
19. Bondyé Zendyen: Any Hindu God
20. Bongo: Dance for the dead
21. Bwa Sòlèy: Son of Papa Bois and Ti-Marie
22. Démou: Demon
23. Diviné: To foretell supernaturally
24. Divinè: Seer [man]
25. Divinèz: Seer [woman]
26. Chapèl: Chapel, Sanctuary
27. Chaplé: Rosary
28. Choubichou: A kind of talisman
29. Chouval: A person used by an Orisha
30. Danmbala: A serpent God worshipped by the Rada community [Belmont, Trinidad]
31. Doktè-fèy: Leaf doctor, anyone who heals with herbs and other plants
32. Dèy: Mourning
33. Djab 1: A character who appears in Creole folk-tales as a well-dressed European man
34. Djab 2: The traditional devil with horns, a tail and a pitch fork
35. Djab molasi: Demons who haunt sugar plantations; they represent the spirits of slaves who died on the plantation
36. Dwenn: The spirits of children who died before being baptised; their feet are turned backward
37. Ébadi: Love potion given to a woman
38. Fè mal: To do evil, harm supernaturally
39. Fèt Lanmò: The Feast of All Souls
40. Fowmajé: Silk Cotton Tree; it is believed that spirits live in these trees
41. Gadkò: Talisman to protect against witchcraft 
42. Gadzafè: Soothsayer
43. Gajè: Witch
44. Gajé: Witchcraft; to practise witchcraft
45. Govi: A magical calabash that has power to trap a soul
46. Glo benni: Holy water
47. Gwan Mèt: (Judeo-Christian) God 
48. Iyélé: A love potion given to a man
49. Jan: John the apostle 
50. Jédi Sen: Holy Thursday
51. Jété Glo: Libation ritual for ancestors or gods
52. Jès: A supernatural action
53. Jézi: Jesus
54. Jézi Kwi: Jesus the Christ
55. Jozèf: Joseph, Jesus' earthly father
56. Kadavi: Zombie, the animated dead
57. Kalvè: Calvary
58. Katéchis: Catechism
59. Katolik: Roman Catholic
60. Konfésè: Confessor [Catholic] (see Padwé)
61. Kònn lanbi: Conch horn, the sounding of horn announced a death in the area
62. Kwa: Cross (Variant: Lakwa)
63. Kwétyen: Christian
64. Kwibo: The snake that guards Maman Glo's pool; there is a large coloured gem on its head
65. Labib: Bible (Variant: Bib)
66. Labé: Priest
67. Labèt: The Beast [Book of Revelation]
68. Labé zendyen: Hindu priest
69. Ladjablès: A female seducing spirit with a cloven right foot (variant: Djablès)
70. Lafimé: A smoke ceremony to remove evil from the home
71. Lafwa: Faith
72. Lasiwenn: Mermaid 
73. Lanfè: Hell
74. Lanmen nwè: Said of someone who practices witchcraft [black hand]
75. Lanmen sal: Said of someone who practices witchcraft [dirty hand]
76. Lanmès: A Catholic mass
77. Lanmò: Death
78. Lapwiyè: Prayer
79. Lasimen-sent: Holy Week
80. Latousen: The Feast of All Saints
81. Lavéyé: Wake for the dead
82. Lavèj: The Virgin Mary
83. Légliz: Church
84. Lé Sen: The saints [collective name for Yoruba gods]
85. Lévanjil: The Holy Scriptures (literally, gospels)
86. Lèspwi: Any spirit
87. Lèspwi Bondyé: The Holy Spirit
88. Lifis: God the Son [Jesus]
89. Lipap: The Pope
90. Lipè: God the Father [YHVH] (See Papa Bondyé)
91. Lisentèspwi: The Holy Spirit
92. Louk: Luke The evangelist [Bible]
93. Lougawou: Werewolf
94. Nòtsenyè: Lord (Variant: Senyè)
95. Mabouyazé: To curse supernaturally
96. Mal: Evil
97. Malédiksyon: Jinx
98. Malfètè: Sorcerer
99. Malfètèz: Sorceress
100. Malfètaj: Sorcery
102. Maji: Witchcraft, magic 
101. Maman Glo: A female water spirit with a serpentine lower body
102. Maman Malad: The spirits of women who have died in childbirth; they cry continually at night
103. Manman Latè: A local Orisha, earth goddess [Trinidad]
104. Mawé: To bewitch someone [literally means ''to tie'']
105. Mawé wanga: Any spell cast to insure fidelity
106. Mèkwédi Sann: Ash Wednesday
107. Mawi: Mary, mother of Jesus
108. Miwak: Miracle
109. Modi: To curse supernaturally
110. Modisyon: Curse
111. Monsenyè: Church Bishop
112. Mongba: An Orisha priestess 
113. Omo-glo: Water spirits who appear in the form of children
114. Owéson: Ritualistic prayer to Catholic saints
115. Papa Bwa: A male spirit, guardian of the forest 
116. Pè: Priest
117. Péché: Sin, to sin
118. Péchè: Sinner
119. Piyè: Peter the apostle 
120. Pòl: Paul the apostle
121. Pwèt: Priest
122. Pwèzbitè: Rectory
123. Pyay: To hex
124. Pwiyé / pwédyé: To pray
125. Pyayè: worker of black magic
126. Tjenbwa: Obeah
127. Tjenbazè: worker of black magic
128. Twavay di sen: Orisha spiritual work
129. Satan: Satan, The Devil
130. Sèvis Lé Sen: Orisha worship service
131. Soukouyan: A female vampire, who sheds her skin at night and flies in a ball of fire. 
132. Sosyè: Witch
133. Syèl: Heaven
134. Vyé Lèspwi: Any evil spirit
135. Yawé: Yahweh: The name of God [Judaism], The name of God the father [Christianity]
136. Zafi: Fairy 
137. Zanj: Angel
138. Zapòt: Apostle