I recall there was a game we played, which I shall name as: "Bad Dog (BD) and Fowl Mama (FM.)"
The game began by choosing a player to be BD who would then face a lineup of FM and her chicks behind her. The chicks held on to the waist of the person in front, except FM of course.
Now this is how I think the game was acted out, but I could be wrong and would welcome correction(s) where applicable.
BD: "Arick! Chick,chick,chick, chick?"
FM and chicks: "Congatay! (chorus)
BD: I see fowl mama!
FM and chicks: Congatay!
BD: You see the chicken name Wendy? Shey fat like butter and magga like a chow!
FM and chicks: Congatay!
This is where my memory lets me down, how does the game continue?
I know that if I was the unfornate chick to named by BD, I had to avoid being caught. Also FM would do her best to restrain BD. There were lots of playful screaming and tactical movements between BD, FM and the chicks.
How did the game continue after BD caught the chick. Did that chick become the new BD?
Update 12 August 2009. A relation while on holiday visiting us, remembered this game.
BD is a chicken hawk, in hindsight that makes sense, doesn't it?
As a chicken is captured it leaves the game. Chicken Hawk wins the game when he/she has captured all the chickens.
More often if FM successfully defends her chicks from the clutches of CH too well, the game ends through boredom.
Friday, 15 May 2009
Ghosts
Ghosts were just scary things! If a funeral was going past and you pointed a finger or two at the hearse, there was only one sure-fired way to stop the ghost from haunting you!
That was to put into your mouth at once, all five fingers of the offending hand!
Or was it all ten fingers? The moral of this story? Always keep your fingers clean, especially if you see a funeral procession headed your way!
That was to put into your mouth at once, all five fingers of the offending hand!
Or was it all ten fingers? The moral of this story? Always keep your fingers clean, especially if you see a funeral procession headed your way!
Jumbee
The jumbee (or Zombie as known elsewhere) is a livin dead. He had a mean temper and would chase you down if you let him catch sight of you. We didn't do much research on him, our defence would be to run like hell away from him as he can only move slowly.
Note: Apparently, there are drugs that can stupify people, so that they can be exploited as cheap labour. Heaven protect us from evil people like dem who use drugs on others!
Note: Apparently, there are drugs that can stupify people, so that they can be exploited as cheap labour. Heaven protect us from evil people like dem who use drugs on others!
The Fee-maid or Fair-maid.
Again we didn't do much research on this creature. She lived out in the Atlantic ocean, or in the deep watersof the rain-forests. It was believed that she was of course half fish, half woman and took delight in pullin people under water to drown them!
The Massaqueraman (spelling?)
I have a problem with this one, we didn't find out much about him. He was supposed to be half fish, half man with teeth like those of a peerai (piranha.) But he lived in rivers and creeks of the rain-forests, so we were'nt worried about him. After all, he was far away and would hardly swim up the Demerara river to get us.
Unlike his female counterpart the fair-maid who was beguilinly beatutifuh, he was mosterously ugly.
Hmm.... wonder if this fishy monster is related to masquerade-man?
Unlike his female counterpart the fair-maid who was beguilinly beatutifuh, he was mosterously ugly.
Hmm.... wonder if this fishy monster is related to masquerade-man?
The Fire Haig
Well, this old girl is the champion badie of the lot! We spent many a day discussing how people should protect themselves from her kind.
The Fire Haig (Hag?) was a vampire with a fondness for sucking the blood outa babies. She could smell a new-born baby two miles away! No! Make that 10 miles!
Soon after 6 pm, when it got dark, the Fire Haig would change from a respectable old woman into a demon with a penchant for fresh baby's blood.
She would undress and peel off her skin, very much like how you would unzip a banana skin.
She would then fold the skin neatly and put it away into a special chest. Then turning into a fireball, she flew off in search of babies. She had the power to fly anywhere, even under-water if she so desired (wink!)
Off she went on her rounds, sucking here, sucking there until the early hours of the morning. She had to return to her skin before sunrise else she would get sun-burnt and die! And good for shay too! Hope sheh dies!
I'm pleased to say, that there are several ways to defend your baby against this evil blood-sucker!
1) The chalk line. Draw a chalk line across the doorway, she abhors white-lines and can't cross them. Hmm, she might be smart and walk around the line! Best to draw a chalk circle on the floor around the baby' cot as further protection.
2) Handful of white-rice. Now this is a cunning means of defence against Fire Haig. You must place a handful of white, not brown, rice on the floor just under the keyhole of your front door. Did I forget to tell you that the Fire Haig flies through the keyhole of your front door to enter your house? No, sorry then! :-)
Now the Fire Haig under the terms of agreement with the Commitee of Rice Planters is obligated to count every grain of rice and report the count to the Commitee. The happy thing about this, is that the Fire Haig's can't lock her fingers into a cup shape. So as soon as she fills her hand past the width of her palm, the rice grains fall from her hand. She has to start counting all over again.
We hadn't figured out has she escapes from the rice counting task, some says she gets trapped by having to count until the Sun comes out and it kills sheh! Good for her too, man! Serves her right! The old baby sucker!
And a warning to young mothers: "Don't be mean with the white rice man, mek sure you put dong at least two handfuls, Okay?"
Now there are young Guyanese men, who are brave and like challenges. They are the heroes of Guyana. A hero would wait for the Fire Haig to change into a fireball and and fly off. They would then enter her house, plugging up the keyhole on her frontdoor, just in case she forgets sumthin and returns home.
Anyway, they would take out her skin and rub lots of salt into it. Then they would leave the house remembering to take the plug outa dee key hole.
When the Fire Haig returns she tries to put on her skin, but it won't attach to her. She cries out: "Skin, skin, yah nah know meh?"
The hero knows he has done a good job as she has to stay in fireball form. Chances are sunlight will fall upon her an kill the damn bitch!
Unless she manages to get inside her special chest of course.
The Fire Haig (Hag?) was a vampire with a fondness for sucking the blood outa babies. She could smell a new-born baby two miles away! No! Make that 10 miles!
Soon after 6 pm, when it got dark, the Fire Haig would change from a respectable old woman into a demon with a penchant for fresh baby's blood.
She would undress and peel off her skin, very much like how you would unzip a banana skin.
She would then fold the skin neatly and put it away into a special chest. Then turning into a fireball, she flew off in search of babies. She had the power to fly anywhere, even under-water if she so desired (wink!)
Off she went on her rounds, sucking here, sucking there until the early hours of the morning. She had to return to her skin before sunrise else she would get sun-burnt and die! And good for shay too! Hope sheh dies!
I'm pleased to say, that there are several ways to defend your baby against this evil blood-sucker!
1) The chalk line. Draw a chalk line across the doorway, she abhors white-lines and can't cross them. Hmm, she might be smart and walk around the line! Best to draw a chalk circle on the floor around the baby' cot as further protection.
2) Handful of white-rice. Now this is a cunning means of defence against Fire Haig. You must place a handful of white, not brown, rice on the floor just under the keyhole of your front door. Did I forget to tell you that the Fire Haig flies through the keyhole of your front door to enter your house? No, sorry then! :-)
Now the Fire Haig under the terms of agreement with the Commitee of Rice Planters is obligated to count every grain of rice and report the count to the Commitee. The happy thing about this, is that the Fire Haig's can't lock her fingers into a cup shape. So as soon as she fills her hand past the width of her palm, the rice grains fall from her hand. She has to start counting all over again.
We hadn't figured out has she escapes from the rice counting task, some says she gets trapped by having to count until the Sun comes out and it kills sheh! Good for her too, man! Serves her right! The old baby sucker!
And a warning to young mothers: "Don't be mean with the white rice man, mek sure you put dong at least two handfuls, Okay?"
Now there are young Guyanese men, who are brave and like challenges. They are the heroes of Guyana. A hero would wait for the Fire Haig to change into a fireball and and fly off. They would then enter her house, plugging up the keyhole on her frontdoor, just in case she forgets sumthin and returns home.
Anyway, they would take out her skin and rub lots of salt into it. Then they would leave the house remembering to take the plug outa dee key hole.
When the Fire Haig returns she tries to put on her skin, but it won't attach to her. She cries out: "Skin, skin, yah nah know meh?"
The hero knows he has done a good job as she has to stay in fireball form. Chances are sunlight will fall upon her an kill the damn bitch!
Unless she manages to get inside her special chest of course.
The Old Haig
The Old Haig (Haig is pronounced High-guh) wasn't too bad in the evil league really. She was supposed to be an old woman living in St. Philips Church yard.
She didn't like children enjoying themselves and walking past too close to where she lived. We believed she slept under the church at night. Some of us children claimed she had caught and eaten some poor child.
So we were to make sure we did not stray from the foot-paths while walking through the church yard, providin we brave enough to venture through it in the first place.
She didn't like children enjoying themselves and walking past too close to where she lived. We believed she slept under the church at night. Some of us children claimed she had caught and eaten some poor child.
So we were to make sure we did not stray from the foot-paths while walking through the church yard, providin we brave enough to venture through it in the first place.
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