"What a way Jamaican turkeys fly high!" - an American tourist, on seeing a John Crow

When last have you seen a John Crow? The last one I saw was a dead one, hit down by a motor vehicle while it was attempting to feast on a dead dog in the middle of a busy thoroughfare. These winged scavengers have become as scarce as good gold! And as strange as it may sound, I have always admired these Jamaican vultures, perhaps the only feathered creatures in the world that boast a Christian and surname!

My research has revealed that the John Crow was named after an Irish clergyman, the Rev John Crow, who lived in Port Royal in the 1680s. As the story goes, he delivered an unpopular sermon exhorting transported prisoners to submit to the authorities. The bird's appearance reminded his audience of the priest so they gave it his name in derision!
However, Frank Cassidy in his classic book, Jamaica Talk, says "nutten nuh go suh!" as the sermon was actually given in 1689, and the first record of the bird being called John Crow was in 1826. The entire scenario becomes even more confusing as Mr Cassidy and his colleague RB Lepage further stated that the name John Crow may be linked to Jim Crow, the American term. But no suitable evidence has substantiated this revelation, so the last take on this name "cass-cass" is that it has some African origin.

Be that as it may, the John Crow has been a very integral part of our socio-cultural landscape and is said to be both a graceful and disgraceful bird. The tragedy, though, is that they have become very scarce. Some say it is because mankind has disturbed their natural habitat, while others maintain that there has been a shortage of "food" for them. In other words, time too hard so people not throwing away anything!? Gimme a break!

I bet you, though, that not one day passes in this country when the words John Crow (Jan Cro) are not used, and usually in a derogatory sense. Has anybody ever called you "dirty (dutty) John Crow"? Yes, me too. Last time I was so described was a few weeks ago when a disgruntled Labourite (JLP supporter) emailed me a most vituperative response because I had dared to criticise Prime Minister Bruce Golding with respect to his handling of the crime issue. Then again, I am sure there are Comrades (PNP supporters) who have found more than one reason to refer to their opponents as you know what.

No wonder the John Crow has become so scarce! Too much ugliness, blackness, evil and disgrace is associated with the poor bird. And as if that was not enough, the John Crow also represents death. Many readers will recall that celebrated incident about the car with a coffin and a John Crow on top of it that was doing the rounds in Kingston. Talk to the Cash Pot/Drop Han aficionados, if one dreams of a John Crow then that means death or some form of destruction. Worse, if a John Crow pitches on your roof top, that is an omen of death.
With the alarming number of murders in this country, one wonders if John Crow has alighted on Jamaica's roof top?

What is more graceful than a John Crow flying high in the sky, soaring so effortlessly like a seasoned ballet dancer as it is wafted along on wings of song? Of course, when one sees a large cluster of John Crows (a rare sight these days), that is a sure signal of imminent heavy rainfall.

In the final analysis, notwithstanding its negative image, the John Crow should be given the same elevated stature as the Jamaican hummingbird and Brer Anancy. After all, it has in so many ways enriched our culture and our folklore. In this vein, there are several proverbs which rely on the John Crow for effective delivery and meaningfulness. Go figure these out: "Every John Crow tink him pickney white"; "If yuh fly wid John Crow yuh wi nyam dead meat"; "John Crow a roast plaintain fi yuh"; or "John Crow seh 'im a dandy man but same time 'im hab so-so feather". And don't let anybody ever tell you that you have "John Crow stomach" or that you walking like "John Crow on flat rock".

Seriously, where have all the John Crows gone? I miss them. Perhaps our environmentalists can "enlighten our darkness" as to the reasons for their scarcity and what can be done to bring them back among us. The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) could do with some help. Not to mention our politics!

In the meantime, sing along with me two popular John Crow songs - "Peel-head John Crow siddung pon tree top, come mek we wheel and tun" and "John Crow seh 'im don't work pon Sunday, tink a lie 'im tell, kill you mawga cow." Miss Lou, where are you? Yuh no see mi a tek bad sinting mek laugh? See yah, mek a just kibber mi mouth, yah. And may I remind you all that I am still heading that organisation I formed some years ago which caused some amount of stink. It is called JANCRO - "Jamaicans Against Nastiness, Corruption, Rudeness and Out-Of-Orderness." Care to join?

- lloydbsmith@hotmail.com

Executive Class

Gardens with Gravel

Death to the Mullet!