OBEAH & MYALISM: A Comparison

African traditions have always been predominantly of a spiritual nature, a feature which was maintained by the enslaved Africans after their arrival in the West Indies. Two of the more popular types of spiritual-based, African-derived traditions which still exist in Jamaica are Obeah and Myalism. The two are often confused as being the same, however, there are dissimilarities between the practices.

The main difference between Obeah and Myalism is that the former is generally associated with bringing about harm to individuals whereas the latter is generally associated with healing. Obeah is also thought to be associated with witchcraft and other negative aspects of the supernatural. On the other hand, Myalism is thought to be associated with the positive side of the supernatural. These perceptions have led to the belief that both traditions are opposites of each other. In fact, Myalism is often used as a means through which the effects of Obeah can be counteracted.

Another difference between the two is the fact that Obeah is an individual practice which involves a relationship between a practitioner (Obeah-Man) and a client. The client approaches the Obeah-Man for a consultation session, who will then seek to solve the client’s problem(s) by using conjured spirits, concoctions, fetishes and/or other items such as poison and broken glass. Sometimes the concoctions are taken internally or rubbed externally, if the problem is being experienced by the client. However, if the problem is with someone else or if the client wishes to do harm to someone, then the concoction is given to the client who will administer the ‘treatment’ his/herself.

In contrast, Myalism is a communal practice which involves a group of persons performing a unique dance ritual with the central figure being the Myal-Man or ‘Doctor’. After having conveyed his/her problem to the Myal-Man, the patient is placed within a circle consisting of the Myal-Man and his assistants. He/she is then given a drink brewed from herbs and sprinkled with a special type of powder after which, the members of the circle dance around him/her. The patient then falls into a deathlike trance and is presumed dead by the onlookers. The Myal-Man then goes into the bushes, returning with several herbs from which he squeezes the juice into the mouth and eyes of the patient. The circle of members then dances around the patient once more after which he/she then miraculously comes to life.

The final major difference between the two traditions is the fact that in the early days, Obeah-Men conducted their rituals in graveyards where they conjured the spirits needed to carry out their evil acts while Myal-Men conducted their rituals around a cotton tree which, in local folk-lore, was believed to be inhabited by ancestral spirits.

Despite the dissimilarities though, Obeah and Myalism share a common and very important feature which is their reliance on spiritual intervention during their rituals. Though they are used for different reasons, spirits play a vital role in both practices. The Obeah-Man claims to have the power to control spirits, allowing him to be able to use them to do his evil deeds. The Myal-Man, however, communicates with the spirit world through a cotton tree where diagnoses and remedies for patients are revealed.

Whether one chooses to believe in these traditions or not, there is no disputing the fact that they contribute to Jamaica’s colourful heritage, and, to some, they play an integral part of their daily lives.

References

1. Beckwith, Martha Warren. Black Roadways: A Study of Jamaican Folk Life. New York: Negro Universities Press.