Cultural Connections in Bermuda

 

Despite being such an isolated island Bermuda has become a cross road with a blend of cultures and ethnicities from Europe, Africa and the Americas. Since Bermuda has close ties in trade and history to both England and the United states these are the most prominent cultural influences, also the migration of people from the West Indies as slaves and indentured servants brought both African and Caribbean native culture to Bermuda.

The majority of Bermudians, 59% (Government of Bermuda), are descended from Africans or a mix of African and other ethnicities. Many of their ancestors were taken to Bermuda as indentured servants from 1612 to 1686 and later as slaves from 1686 to 1835 from the west indies or from Spanish and Portuguese ships taken by Bermudian privateers (Bermuda National Trust). Many native Americans of the Caribbean region ended up in Bermuda this same way. Tributes to their struggle for freedom and equality can be seen in various statues, such as the Sally Bassett statue (Bermuda National Trust), and historical sites around the island. The second most populous ethnic group is Europeans mainly from the United Kingdoms. Christianity is the most prominent religion (Rushe). Building laws still prohibit any building to be taller than the cathedrals (Forbes).

A traditional Bermuda roof (Backeberg) 

The natural resources of Bermuda greatly impacted its architecture and building codes. The buildings are traditionally built using the limestone, which makes up much of the island, and the Bermuda Cedar in the earlier settlement. The lack of fresh water sources led to the use of the white roof made of limestone tiles now iconic in Bermuda (Backeberg). The roofs are used to gather rain water and clean it with the antibacterial properties of lime-based mortar (modern Bermuda roofs use different materials but are still used to gather rain water) (Backeberg) . While the materials have changed, the roof completion is still celebrated with a roof wetting ceremony. The owner of the building and everyone who worked on the roof climb onto the roof to drink rum (or water) then pour the some onto the new roof. The brilliant ingenuity of these stone roofs and houses provides the Bermudians with fresh water from the rain and protection from Bermuda’s strong storms and hurricanes as well.

Dancing Gombey at the 2001 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. [Catalog No. - CFV10189; Copyright - 2009 Smithsonian Institution]

May is Bermuda Heritage month where the broad and diverse spectrum of Bermudians’ heritage is celebrated and shared. A variety of events take place throughout this month put on by various groups celebrating their cultures, heritage and love for Bermuda. On the last Friday of May they celebrate Bermuda Day with a big parade and festival. A major highlight of Bermuda Day parade is the Gombey dancers. There is also a Gombay Festival around Christmas and New years Their dancing, music, and clothing is unique to Bermuda, mixing the cultures of natives from West Africa, the Caribbean, Native Americans and Britain (Krist). The tradition was developed by the enslaved people and was once restricted and banned by the ruling class; hence Gombey dances wear mask and cover their bodies to conceal their identity (Krist). The music is percussion driven, and the word gombey means ‘rhythm’ in Bantu. Like all traditions it was passed on through families and tells the story of their heritage and struggles each dance tells a story. The videos above and below show the gombey tradition and describe the history and meaning behind them. 

Behind the Mask: Bermuda Gombeys Past, Present and Future by the Ministry of Cultural and Social Rehabilitation Bermuda 

Bibliography

Backeberg, Peter. "The Bermuda Roof." 12 June 2020. The Bermudian. www.thebermudian.com/culture/the-consummate-bermudian/the-bermuda-roof/. 16 March 2021.

Behind the Mask: Bermuda Gombeys Past, Present and Future. Dir. Adrian Kawaley-Lathan. 2008. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf4YkhOxsXE

Bermuda National Trust. Black History in Bermuda Teacher's Resource Guide. Hamilton, 2016. https://www.bnt.bm/images/News%20Articles/Black%20History%20Book.pdf.

Forbes, Keith. "Bermuda's Historic Houses and Properties." 2020. Bermuda Online. www.bermuda-online.org/historichouses.htm. 16 May 2021.

Government of Bermuda. 2016 Population and Housing Census. census. Hamilton, 2016. https://www.gov.bm/sites/default/files/2016%20Census%20Report.pdf.

Krist, Bob. "Video: Behind the Mask in Bermuda." 20 May 2015. National Geographic. www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/gombeys-behind-the-mask-in-bermuda. 16 March 2021.

Rushe, George. "Bermuda." 10 May 2021. Encyclopaedia Britannica. www.britannica.com/place/Bermuda. 16 May 2021.