The story of “Brother Dead” is one of the best known of Jamaica
stories. Trowbridge, 282, says Death is looked upon as Anansi’s
brother. “Anansi fool ’em all; nobody can fool Anansi, only Bredder
Dead,” old Forbes said at the end of a trick story. Every Jamaica
collection includes a version. See Jekyll, 31–34; Milne-Home, 40–41;
Trowbridge, JAFL 9: 286–287; Pamela Smith, 69–70; Wona, 73–77. For
other references, compare Parsons, Andros Island, 117–119 and note 2,
page 117.
The story turns upon Anansi’s stealing from Death’s provision field, as
in 17b. All the versions except Wona’s version end with the episode of
“refugees in the roof,” as in number 5c; an episode related to the
fruit-dropping or dust-blinding incident as a means of getting rid of a
strong enemy who is lying in wait for a weaker; as in numbers 13c, 23.
In Wona’s version, which has retained a European underworld coloring,
Anansi passes fields of fat cattle and comes finally to the city of
Death. He greases the hinges of the gate with the fat of the sheep he
has killed out of Death’s flocks, and when he flees, the gate opens for
him. Nevertheless, the shadow of death jumps upon his back. He asks
various friends to take it off, and finally succeeds in throwing it to
earth; later he picks and eats callalu (Jamaica greens) from the spot
where it fell. This latter part of the story is the “Dry-head” episode
of numbers 22 and 30.
In the ordinary Jamaica version, the comedy of getting the food,
bringing the wife, attempting Death’s destruction, take the place of
the underworld detail. Another Maroon version begins:
Anansi get a daughter he call Mat, an’ he go to a place where he was
hunting an’ see a man sitting down all day sharpening pegs. Anansi go
an’ say “Morning, Brar Dead!” Not a ’peak, only keep on work all a
time. He go up on his lof’ have lots of dry meat, an’ he tek as much
an’ carry it down an’ bile his food. Anansi don’ walk where rope is set
against de water, walk a different pass.
After Anansi has left his daughter with Dead, the story runs:
Him daughter want water, say, “Brar Dead, want water.” Not a answer.
Him follow de pass an’ go down to whe’ de water deh; an’ him drop in
Brar Dead’s rope an’ he catch him. An’ Dead run down an’ tek him off de
stick an’ lick him.—“Brar Dead, I’m yo’ wife! yo’ wife, Brar Dead! Don’
kill me! don’ kill me!” Don’ hear a word, not a word. Kill him an’ cut
him up an’ carry him put him up in lof’, mek fire under him, dry him.
In Trowbridge, Death is a loquacious planter and the story runs like
any thieving plot. In the Maroon version the figure of “Brother Dead”
corresponds with that of the “Piercer of Souls” or the “fisherman” in
American Indian stories of the trickster’s visit to the underworld,
e.g. Relation de la Nouvelle France, 1636, p. 106; Petitot, Traditions
Indiennes des Déné Dinjé, p. 33. The American Indian fisherman is
spearing or angling for fish; the Jamaica figure of Death is trapping
game. Both tricksters make their way in by avoiding Death’s trap.
The incident of tying Death’s hair in order to burn him up corresponds
to the hair-plaiting in Callaway, 29, and Theal, 110, where the
trickster sets fire to the hut and burns up his host.
Version (b) shows a simpler handling of similar incidents.