JONKANOO CHARACTERS

(POLICE MAN)

POLICE MAN

Law and order must be maintained in every

society and at every event, even Jankonoo
parades! Unfortunately, the police man in a
parade is more concerned with dancing and
scaring children than with keeping his
fellow revelers in line.
JONKANOO CHARACTERS
 (BELLY WOMAN)
BELLY WOMAN

This character is a heavily pregnant woman

with a buxom bosom and an ample backside.
Belly woman gyrates her hips and takes
advantage of every opportunity to show off
her curves, growing belly, and bootylicious
body. In a sense, she is a symbol of
Feminine Power and Fertility
JONKANOO CHARACTERS
 (Horse head)
Horse head

Horse head runs around jabbing onlookers with

his lance. This character may have been
influenced by the Europeans tradition of
Jousting, but his exact meaning and role in a
Jonkanoo parade in still a bit sketchy. Horse
Head (sometimes called Cow Head) may also be
a symbol of the popular Rolling Calf legend,
which is the Jamaica version of the boogeyman.

JONKANOO CHARACTERS
 (Pitchy Patchy)
Pitchy Patchy

He is clever and covered in mismatched strips of

cloth. Pitchy Patchy is a tip of the hat to the
resourceful nature of African slaves, who were
able to make something beautiful out of scarce
supplies. He is the consummate trouble maker
and it is believed that Pitchy Patchy may have
been modeled of Anancy, a popular character in
West African and Caribbean childrens stories
who was also known as a cunning trickster.
JONKANOO Characters
Only men perform in a jankanoo
parade, the reasons for which are
still unknown. It may be that
woman are usually too busy
comforting scared children.
Whatever the case, one thing is
clear johkanoo revelers go to great
lengths to keep their identity
secret, especially from children.
There are five main characters in a
typical parade and each represents
a particular cultural element.