Revivalism, Obeah Law, Myalism, Children

By Sankofie | Published June 14, 2025 | 5 Comments

At the recent inaugural National Revival Conference and Church Service, hosted at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on May 28, 2025, where the Police should have presented themselves like ladies in waiting…ready to lock up the spirits that possess the people or the people that possess the spirit or both…some dots got connected.  So this British, now claimed by Jamaica, Obeah Law, which itself says “1– This Law may be cited as “The Obeah Law, 1898,”’’ goes on to say that “3 – In this Law, unless the context otherwise requires, “Obeah” shall be deemed to be of one and the same meaning as “Myalism;”. Now some years ago when I, in an attempt to understand some of our ‘African retention,’ had reason to participate in a Kumina session as a part of my research, found that the word myal was used to describe situations where a person or persons as the elders explained, were in a state of ‘spirit possession.’ According to those who seemed to know and understand the person or persons was/were ‘inna myal’ or had ‘ketch inna myal.’  So without going further into that and to keep it simple, we could say that O = M = SP,  where O = Obeah, M=Myal, SP = Spirit Possession. 

Now there is a syncretic way of worship called Revival and it, like myal, has its own ism. But that is not the only commonality. Interestingly enough Revival also involves spirit possession so this, now too, becomes another variable in our equation.  Let us say R=revivalism.  To use a formula that we learned in our schools, those British informed institutions of very little relevant education, we can logically deduce that: Since O = M= SP; Then it stands to reason that if we introduce the new variable R, where R = SP, we now have O = M = SP = R; Therefore O = R, a very powerful dot connected and explained, by the equal sign, between the two.  Simplistic? Maybe, but consider this, will we enforce “The Obeah Law, 1898,” against the UNESCO recognized, Ministerial-y supported, Revivalism?  Pitching Obeah against Revivalism in a fight to the death? Will we repeal the Law? Or will we creatively seek innovative ways to keep the Law in place and provide waivers or other kinds of exemptions to accommodate revivalists?  

Another dot that hit me good and proper as I saw the many children and young people at the Revival Conference and Service, was that children were covered under “The Obeah Law, 1898.”   ‘4 – Every person practising Obeah shall be liable to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for a period not exceeding twelve months, and in addition thereto, or in lieu thereof, to whipping.’ It is very clear that this ‘Every person’ included children (!!!) as the Law goes on some more and then narrows down and stipulates how many lashes our little and not so little ones would receive when charged and found guilty, unable to prove themselves innocent of any practice or pretending to practice charge against them.  I wonder where on their small bodies the children over ten years old but less than 12 years old would receive their 6 lashes and similarly where the more than 12 but less than 16 years old would receive theirs? Was the whip used smaller than the ones used on the adult persons? Would ‘justice’ be dispensed with mercy?

Not so long ago, in November 2012, “The Obeah Law, 1898.” benefited from an overall effort to practice or pretend to practice ‘modernity’ in the Criminal Justice System.  Flogging was removed from all Jamaican laws including the Obeah Law.  Everything else remained.  To have included children in this Law seems to be an act of such absolute, I have no words to describe, depravity.  Would someone please stipulate the requirements for the ‘wave of consciousness’ we need to emancipate ourselves from legislative slavery?