NICARAGUA: NICARAGUAN CREOLES HAVE TRANSFOMED THE BRITISH MAY POLE TRADITION IN A FERTILITY DANCE

Record ID: 862224

  • Title: NICARAGUA: NICARAGUAN CREOLES HAVE TRANSFOMED THE BRITISH MAY POLE TRADITION IN A FERTILITY DANCE
  • Date: 20th May 2001
  • Summary: SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NELSON SAYING: "This dance is innate to each of us. We dance new rhythms in any dance, if a new dance arrives, we dance to our rhythm, it is something innate in the Caribbean."
  • Embargoed: 4th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BLUEFIELDS, NICARAGUA
  • City:
  • Country: Nicaragua
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA9BSVTQU3BQPDWHBLTBC7D4FCO
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Nicaraguans Creoles inhabiting the southern Atlantic coast, whose ancestors were brought to the country as slaves by the British, continue to keep the 'May Pole' tradition alive.
    In Nicaragua's southern Atlantic coastal region, the yearly 'May Pole' celebration enjoyed by the British as a courtship ritual, has been transformed into a fertility dance for harvests and women.
    During the 17th century British landowners shipped in slaves to work their farms and plantations, these are their decendants.
    Local lore states that the 'May Pole' tradition was brought over by the British as a celebration of the tree of youth and happiness, and was adorned with ribbons that children would dance with and tie around their desired partner.
    Bluefields, located about 600 kilometers southeast of Managua, has approximately 180,000 inhabitants, many of which belong to one of six local ethnic groups: Miskitos, Sumos, Garifonas, Ramas, Mestizos and Creoles.
    For the Creoles, who are of Jamaican and African decent, the ritual was advanced to the next phase of courtship, a fertility ritual; It serves to ask the virgin princess Mayaya, goddess of fertility, for rain for their harvest and for female fertility and a new life.
    "We dance for a good production from our people, for the rain, and for the tree to produce," says Mrs. Lizzie Nelson who has been performing the dance since the 1930's and now teaches it to younger generations.
    This modern version of the 'May Pole' dance is characterized by afro-caribbean music and dancing, local inhabitants, however, still continue to perform the traditional dance.
    Ms. Lizzie, as she is known locally, adds that she believes the people of her region were born with the spirit of the dance and its purpose.
    "This dance is innate to each of us. We dance new rhythms in any dance, if a new dance arrives, we dance to our rhythm, it is something innate in the Caribbean."
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