Traditional Trinidad Carnival Characters

While Carnival in Trinidad has the usual bevy of bikini and sequin clad dancing girls and muscular men in feathers and tattoos, there is also a cast of traditional characters. These historical carnival characters are part of Viey La Cou, or old yard. Most of these folklore characters have been part of the carnival tradition since the late 1800s.

The sailor is a popular character who weaves from side to side to show he doesn't have his land legs yet and still feels the movement of his ship beneath him. He leans on his walking stick for support as he does a heel and toe dance. His traditional white sailor suit and hat are decorated with jewels, sequins and beads. He usually has a group of other sailors dancing along with him, and a fireman who waves a "fire" of red and orange cellophane on a stick.

Some of the devils are in the expected red, but the traditional Trinidad Carnival Devil is a Blue Devil, dressed in blue, painted blue, covered with mud, and drooling blood. They lunge and jab at the crowd, playfully scaring everyone along the way. Bats wear costumes in brown or black, with wings of wire and cloth, and claws on their shoes. They swoop, glide and crawl, flapping their wings to imitate bats. There are Imps, with scales, and Beasts, which have scales and long claws like dragons, and wear chains and padlocks.

The Midnight Robbers wear masks and carry their big black bags of loot on their backs. They dart and tease as though they were going to steal from the spectators. Stick fighters carry on a constant dancing battle with big sticks. The Moko Jumbies are talented and coordinated characters who wear fancy costumes and walk on tall stilts. They are an African contribution to the parade, as they represent the African spirits who walked tall around the village, protecting their people.

Dame Lorraine is a very popular lady with the crowd. She parodies the rich French plantation wives, carrying a parasol, and looking down her nose at everyone. Her bright floral dress is filled out with big breasts and a big bottom, which she wiggles as she walks. She carries a big book and pen, and notes any misbehavior by pointedly writing it down in her book. You'd better be nice and not naughty when Dame Lorraine is around.

One group you would not see in these politically correct times in the United States is the Minstrels. Minstrel shows in which white people put on black face and sang black minstrel songs are only seen occasionally in an old movie on television these days, but the Minstrels are a tradition part of Carnival in Trinidad. The Minstrels are a group of black people, with white faces, parodying white people playing black men. American Indians have colorful and elaborate costumes with feathers, head dresses, and leather tunics with bright colors and elaborate patterns.

In the midst of all this revelry, Pierrot Grenade is an unexpected intellectual character. He is dressed in brightly colored rags which stream in all directions off his costume, which is like that of a court jester. He shows off his wisdom and wit by spelling words, and then making up an elaborately rhymed story poem about how they are spelled. His poetry is best appreciated at one of the evening programs put on to celebrate the Ole Mas so you can hear him clearly.

Carnival in Trinidad lasts for weeks, with stage shows and parties leading up to the final events. Everyone on the island gets involved in some way, to celebrate Mardi Gras, but also to celebrate their history and their culture, as well as the culture of the groups who have lived on the island over the years.