Is Jab Jab Really About the Devil?

Introduction

Many first-time visitors to Grenada are struck by the sight of horned, blackened figures dragging chains through the streets before dawn during J’ouvert. At first glance, Jab Jab Mas appears to be a devil parade. In reality, most Grenadian historians, cultural practitioners and Carnival researchers describe it very differently: the frightening appearance is a performance of slavery, survival and emancipation rather than an act of devil worship. The unsettling imagery deliberately forces audiences to confront painful history, transforming symbols once associated with fear, degradation and colonial power into declarations of freedom and cultural pride. That tension between appearance and meaning makes Jab Jab one of Grenada’s most fascinating examples of how seemingly sinister imagery can carry a profoundly historical message.[NAFA Film Collection]nafafilm.orgNAFA Film CollectionDRAGGING CHAINS - The NAFA Film CollectionMay 14, 2024 — by EV Hvidtfeldt · Cited by 1 — The aim of this project is t…Published: May 14, 2024

What visitors see at J’ouvert

Jab Jab dominates Grenada’s J’ouvert celebrations, which begin before sunrise during the annual Spicemas Carnival. Participants typically cover themselves in black substances such as oil, grease, charcoal or paint, wear large horns, carry heavy chains and move through the streets to powerful drumming and soca rhythms. The sound of chains scraping the road is as much a part of the experience as the music itself.[Islandlearning]islandlearning.gdjab jab culture in grenadaJab Jab Culture in GrenadaJun 10, 2022 — The word, “Jab Jab” is a noun, that is French Creole in origin, meaning diable or…

For visitors unfamiliar with Caribbean Carnival traditions, the spectacle can appear deliberately demonic. The word “Jab” itself derives from the French Creole form of diable, meaning “devil”, and older Carnival traditions across the Caribbean include various devil masquerades. Grenada’s version shares some visual features with these traditions but has evolved into something with its own distinctive historical meaning.[Islandlearning]islandlearning.gdjab jab culture in grenadaJab Jab Culture in GrenadaJun 10, 2022 — The word, “Jab Jab” is a noun, that is French Creole in origin, meaning diable or…

Rather than inviting fear of supernatural evil, modern Grenadian performers often explain that the costume confronts the violence of slavery through exaggeration. The frightening appearance shocks audiences into remembering a history that might otherwise become sanitised or forgotten.[Essence]essence.comroots in resistance grenada jab jabJab Jab is a post-emancipation masquerade,” says Ian Charles, CEO and Founder of Jambalasee Grenada, a group committed…

Chains, horns and plantation memory

Every major feature of the Jab Jab costume has attracted interpretation, although details vary between performers, communities and scholars.

The chains are perhaps the clearest symbol. They evoke the physical restraints imposed on enslaved Africans, yet they are no longer worn as instruments of captivity. During J’ouvert they become noisy reminders that those chains no longer control the people carrying them. Dragging them publicly transforms a symbol of oppression into one of survival and liberation.[Essence]essence.comroots in resistance grenada jab jabJab Jab is a post-emancipation masquerade,” says Ian Charles, CEO and Founder of Jambalasee Grenada, a group committed…

The blackened body also carries layered meanings. Some accounts connect it with soot, oil or molasses associated with plantation labour and sugar production, while others see it as recalling the conditions endured by enslaved workers. One tradition recorded by the Grenada Cultural Foundation links the character to the spirit of an enslaved man who died after falling into a boiling vat of molasses and returns during Carnival to haunt his former master. Whether taken literally or symbolically, the story reinforces the connection between the masquerade and plantation history rather than the supernatural.[YES! Magazine]yesmagazine.orggrenada jab carnival pleasureYES! MagazineThe Transgressive Pleasure of CarnivalDec 2, 2024 — According to the Grenada Cultural Foundation, “[t]he Jab Jab portrays th…

The horns are the most misunderstood element. European colonists frequently associated African religious practices and Black resistance with the Devil, portraying enslaved people as savage or ungodly. Jab Jab reverses that imagery. Instead of rejecting the insult, performers exaggerate it until it becomes theatrical satire. The feared “devil” becomes the liberated descendant of those once demonised by colonial society.[NAFA Film Collection]nafafilm.orgNAFA Film CollectionDRAGGING CHAINS - The NAFA Film CollectionMay 14, 2024 — by EV Hvidtfeldt · Cited by 1 — The aim of this project is t…Published: May 14, 2024

Why the frightening image became performance

Jab Jab emerged within a wider Caribbean tradition in which formerly enslaved people adapted and transformed Carnival after emancipation in 1834. Across the region, Carnival became a space where social hierarchies could be mocked, authority inverted and painful experiences reimagined through performance. Grenada’s Jab Jab developed into one of the strongest expressions of that tradition.[Essence]essence.comroots in resistance grenada jab jabJab Jab is a post-emancipation masquerade,” says Ian Charles, CEO and Founder of Jambalasee Grenada, a group committed…

Its power comes from reversal. Colonial society often portrayed Black bodies, African customs and rebellion as dangerous or devilish. Jab Jab deliberately adopts those accusations and performs them with pride. What had once been intended as humiliation becomes celebration, memory and resistance. Researchers studying Grenadian Carnival describe this process as one of reclaiming identity through masquerade, allowing historical trauma to be remembered collectively rather than hidden.[NAFA Film Collection]nafafilm.orgNAFA Film CollectionDRAGGING CHAINS - The NAFA Film CollectionMay 14, 2024 — by EV Hvidtfeldt · Cited by 1 — The aim of this project is t…Published: May 14, 2024

This helps explain why the performance can seem simultaneously joyful and intimidating. The aggressive dancing, shouted chants and dramatic gestures are not simply entertainment. They express freedom through excess, noise and movement, making the formerly oppressed impossible to ignore.[NAFA Film Collection]nafafilm.orgNAFA Film CollectionDRAGGING CHAINS - The NAFA Film CollectionMay 14, 2024 — by EV Hvidtfeldt · Cited by 1 — The aim of this project is t…Published: May 14, 2024

Is Jab Jab really about the Devil?

The simplest answer is no.

The devil imagery is real, but most cultural historians, Carnival organisations and Grenadian practitioners interpret it as symbolic rather than religious. The costume borrows the visual language of devils while redirecting its meaning towards history, emancipation and cultural memory.[islandlearning.gd]islandlearning.gdjab jab culture in grenadaJab Jab Culture in GrenadaJun 10, 2022 — The word, “Jab Jab” is a noun, that is French Creole in origin, meaning diable or…

Some religious groups have criticised the masquerade over the years because of its appearance, while a minority of commentators argue that its origins or symbolism should be understood differently. These debates continue, reflecting broader discussions about Carnival, religion and African heritage. Even so, the dominant interpretation presented by Grenadian cultural organisations and many contemporary practitioners is that Jab Jab commemorates resistance to slavery instead of celebrating evil.[thegrenadianvoice.com]thegrenadianvoice.comGrenadian Voice On the troubling Jab Jab issue!Grenadian VoiceOn the troubling Jab Jab issue!June 5, 2025 — 5 Jun 2025 — Up to the time that we were told that Grenada's population was…Published: June 5, 2025

Why Jab Jab matters in Grenada’s strange-history landscape

From a Fortean perspective, Jab Jab is unusual because it demonstrates how apparently uncanny imagery can be culturally misleading. A visitor expecting evidence of occult ritual instead encounters a historical masquerade whose “devilish” appearance conceals a powerful social narrative.

Unlike ghost legends or supernatural folklore, Jab Jab’s mystery lies in interpretation rather than unexplained events. The horns, chains and blackened bodies look like symbols of darkness, yet they function as acts of remembrance and defiance. That inversion has allowed the masquerade to endure as one of Grenada’s most distinctive cultural traditions, reminding audiences that the strangest images are not always the ones with supernatural origins—they are often the ones carrying the deepest historical memory.

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to Is Jab Jab Really About the Devil?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Book

The Serpent and the Rainbow

By Wade Davis

First published 1985. Subjects: Social life and customs, Description and travel, Zombiism, Bizango (Cult), Religious life and customs.

See on Amazon

Book

Into the Bermuda Triangle

By Gian J. Quasar

First published 2004. Subjects: Nonfiction, Sports & Recreations, Bermuda triangle.

See on Amazon

Book

A Brief History of the Caribbean

By Jan Rogozinski

First published 1999.

See on Amazon

Book

Erik Larson Bestselling 4 Books Set. the Devil in the White C...

By Erik Larson

First published 2022. Subjects: Biography.

See on Amazon

Browse more on Amazon:The Serpent and the RainbowInto the Bermuda TriangleA Brief History of the Caribbean

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

eBay marketplace picks

Marketplace Samples

Live-tested eBay searches with available results related to this page.

Shop location

UsingUSA USA USAUKCanadaAustraliaIreland

Example eBay listing

John W. Nunley Caribbean Festival Arts 1988 Hardcover Illustrated University of…

SearcheBay.co.uk: Caribbean festival art

Browse similar oneBay.co.uk

Example eBay listing

Guyana 1972 1st Caribbean Festival of Arts complete set of 4v. (SG 573-576) MNH

SearcheBay.co.uk: Caribbean festival art

Browse similar oneBay.co.uk

Example eBay listing

Caribbean Festival Arts : Every Little Piece of Difference Hardco

SearcheBay.co.uk: Caribbean festival art

Browse similar oneBay.co.uk

Example eBay listing

Vintage Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival T Shirt Sz L 2000 Y2K Canada Art

SearcheBay.co.uk: Caribbean festival art

Browse similar oneBay.co.uk

Browse more oneBay.co.uk

Example items shown for inspiration; availability and pricing can change. Branchoria may earn a commission if you purchase through outbound eBay links.

Endnotes

1. Source: essence.com
Title: roots in resistance grenada jab jab
Link:https://www.essence.com/culture/roots-in-resistance-grenada-jab-jab/

2. Source: islandlearning.gd
Title: jab jab culture in grenada
Link:https://www.islandlearning.gd/post/jab-jab-culture-in-grenada

3. Source: nafafilm.org
Link:https://nafafilm.org/sites/default/files/file_attach/documents/draggingchainsthesis.pdf

Published: May 14, 2024

4. Source: Wikipedia
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%27ouvert

5. Source: yesmagazine.org
Title: grenada jab carnival pleasure
Link:https://www.yesmagazine.org/health-happiness/2024/12/02/grenada-jab-carnival-pleasure

6. Source: thegrenadianvoice.com
Title: Grenadian Voice On the troubling Jab Jab issue!
Link:https://thegrenadianvoice.com/on-the-troubling-jab-jab-issue/

Published: June 5, 2025

7. Source: nowgrenada.com
Title: is it really jab jab or fertility worship in disguise
Link:https://nowgrenada.com/2020/08/is-it-really-jab-jab-or-fertility-worship-in-disguise/

Additional References

8. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/Guyana.Pictures.Group/posts/1572582203739603/

9. Source: medium.com
Link:https://medium.com/%40mdvrobert101/grenadas-jab-jab-as-historical-memory-1cca05e8cc31

10. Source: bet.com
Link:https://www.bet.com/article/p5qo70/explore-grenada-the-spice-isles-rich-history-spicemmas-and-the-powerful-tradition-of-jab-jab

11. Source: fridaythings.com
Title: grenada spicemas 2025 jab jab jouvert liberation carnival
Link:https://www.fridaythings.com/recent-posts/grenada-spicemas-2025-jab-jab-jouvert-liberation-carnival

12. Source: okayplayer.com
Link:https://www.okayplayer.com/what-the-world-can-learn-from-spicemas-grenadas-carnival-of-rebellion-and-reinvention/797624

13. Source: instagram.com
Title: What once symbolised oppression is now worn as power!
Link:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNJH_43v_mD/?hl=en

14. Source: blamuk.org
Title: debunking the myth of the evil jab jab
Link:https://blamuk.org/2025/07/10/debunking-the-myth-of-the-evil-jab-jab/

15. Source: caribbeanamericanpassport.com
Title: The grotesque and fearsome appearance
Link:https://caribbeanamericanpassport.com/the-cultural-significance-of-jab-jab-celebration-in-the-caribbean/

Published: May 2024

16. Source: raafeke.medium.com
Title: jab jab grenadas legacy 4b7cd85fc817
Link:https://raafeke.medium.com/jab-jab-grenadas-legacy-4b7cd85fc817

17. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/smcgrenada/posts/story-of-the-jab-jab-/1739609992915418/