• R.VALARMATHI

Obeah is one of the most important Jamaican traditions brought by the blacks into Caribbean during the slave tradeIt is primarily the practice of harnessing the supernatural forces and spirits for one’s own purpose. Obeah practitioners, both men and women functioned as community leaders and preachers of African folk cultural heritage. The colonial Government imposed many laws to curtail the practice of Obeah as they considered that Obeah practitioners were promoting slave revolts in Caribbean society in a secretive manner apart from causing troubles to people through casting spells of witchcraft. The importance of Obeah lies in the fact that it not only signifies the retention of traditional cultural identity of a socially and culturally oppressed group but as a form of rebellion and threat to the white supremacy.

Obeah, Caribbean cultural practice, cultural marker, slave revolts and witchcraft

"OBEAH AS A CARIBBEAN CULTURAL MARKER AND SYMBOL OF REVOLT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no.8-9, April-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904H03.pdf

"OBEAH AS A CARIBBEAN CULTURAL MARKER AND SYMBOL OF REVOLT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no. pp8-9, April-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904H03.pdf