5 Traditional Trinidad Carnival Characters: Moko Jumbie, Midnight Robber, Jab Jab, Pierrot Grenade, Dame Lorraine

Traditional Carnival characters (Old Mas) are street theater—satire, resistance, artistry. Five icons:

1. Moko Jumbie (Stilt Dancer)

• Origin: West African (Moko = deity/spirit; Jumbie = ghost)
• Stilts: 10–15 ft (up to 20 ft), handmade, padded
• Costume: Long skirt/pants, masked face, colorful fabrics
• Performance: Acrobatic dancing, collecting money from upper balconies
• Symbolism: Elevated perspective, ancestral connection, protection

2. Midnight Robber

• Costume: Black satin cape, broad-brim hat (crossbones), skull mask, coffin-shaped bag
• Speech: Robber Talk – boastful, poetic, biblical, satirical ("I'll rob the stars from the sky!")
• Role: Trickster, social commentator, crowd favorite
• Origin: American Western films + African griot tradition

3. Jab Jab (Jab Molassie)

• Name: French diable (devil) + molasses
• Costume: Molasses/paint-covered body, horns, chains, wire mask, biscuit tin "money box"
• Action: Frightening, chaotic, demanding "pay the devil"
• Variants: Pretty Jab Jab (sequined, choreographed), Traditional (raw, messy)
• Symbolism: Inversion, release, confronting fear

4. Pierrot Grenade

• Costume: Black/white diamond-checkered suit, pointed hat, wooden sword, bells
• Performance: Scholarly satire – quotes Shakespeare, Bible, politics; swordplay; spelling contests
• Origin: French Pierrot + Grenadian influence
• Role: Intellectual jester, verbal warrior

5. Dame Lorraine

• Parody: Male masquerader as elite French Creole woman
• Costume: Voluminous gown, bustle, parasol, fan, elaborate wig, false bosom/hips
• Performance: Mincing walk, high-pitched voice, mock aristocratic manners
• Satire: Plantocracy pretensions, colorism, gender performance

Preservation

NCC (National Carnival Commission) funds Traditional Mas bands. Schools teach character portrayal. Elders (e.g., "Dragon" Zachary, "Pink Panther" Lee) transmit embodied knowledge. These characters are Trinidad's cultural memory in motion.