Myths, tales and legends

The storyteller, guardian of memory

These stories did not exist in isolation: they were passed on by the storyteller, a key figure in Creole society.

At wakes or community gatherings, the storyteller would begin his tale with the ritual phrase ‘Yé krik?’, to which the audience would reply ‘Yé Krak!’, thus signalling that they were ready to journey into the world of the imagination.

Through his facial expressions, his songs and his silences, he kept his audience spellbound, conveying far more than just stories: a worldview, values and a collective identity.

Compère Lapin, the cunning one

A central figure in Creole folklore, Compère Lapin is the quintessential mischievous hero. Small and seemingly weak, he always triumphs over the powerful thanks to his intelligence, cunning and resourcefulness.

When faced with Compère Tigre, Compère Éléphant or other animals from the Caribbean bestiary, he plays tricks, deceives, subverts and turns situations to his advantage. His opponents, often stronger but less quick-witted, invariably end up being duped. Stemming from African oral traditions and carried across the Atlantic in the memories of the deported peoples, this character embodies a profound symbolic significance.

The Dorlis, the spirit of the night

The Dorlis, for its part, stands out as one of the most fearsome and peculiar figures in local folklore. This malevolent creature, half-man, half-spirit, sneaks into sleeping houses to prey on women whilst they sleep; invisible and elusive, it slips through cracks in the walls and under doors.

To protect themselves from it, people in the past resorted to various countermeasures: scattering salt (or rice) in front of the doorway, forcing the Dorlis to count every grain before entering; placing a pair of open scissors under the pillow; or wearing their underwear inside out. Far more than a mere mythical creature, it reflects the unspoken anxieties and violence of a society, long expressed through the prism of myth.

Dorlis, Guiablesse, Manman Dlo and Compère Lapin are just a few of the characters that feature in the various Caribbean folktales. This world, drawing on African, pre-Columbian and European traditions, reflects a culture forged from diverse influences and a complex history. It continues to thrive and reinvent itself, carried forward by storytellers, artists and writers who, from generation to generation, take it up to give it new forms and new faces.

Beyond fantastical creatures and tales, the Martinican imagination is also shaped by a range of magical and spiritual practices deeply rooted in the culture. Among these, the tjenbwa and the ‘bain démaré’ hold a special place, straddling the boundary between the visible and the invisible, between belief and everyday life.

Tjenbwa: the magic of connections

Tjenbwa (meaning ‘here, drink’ in French) is a form of traditional magic practised in the West Indies. It can be used for malicious purposes – to cast a spell, harm an enemy or win someone’s affection – but also for protective purposes.

The tjenbwazè, one who practises tjenbwa, is a figure who is both feared and sought out for advice, the keeper of secret knowledge passed down in the shadows. He is said to have the power to influence people’s fates, to bring about misfortune, illness or discord, but also to ward them off.