Grenada and Carriacou Intro

I had the pleasure of choosing the pleasure of choosing Grenada and Carriacou as my islands to research and study. They are two of the most beautiful islands in the caribbean. They are home to the most beautiful and sandy beaches known to man and I most definitely wish that I may have the opportunity to vacation there. While doing research on the islands, I noticed that there is  a major and dark history with this island. Not even fifty years ago and the islands has went through two major power struggles. Each one was very violent and the leader was removed by force. After learning their history, I had a question that wanted answered. How has Grenada and Carriacou kept their economy thriving after all this chaos?

Grenada and Carriacou Highlights and challenges

Upon starting this project, it was very challenging for me to pick a topic. While looking at a video on my island, I discovered that it has a unmentioned history. This history even includes the united states.

While doing research and finding information on my island, I discovered a lot of useful facts that I didn't know before. I learned that Grenada was under the leadership of a man named Maurice Bishop. Bishop was a good man and leader who only wanted the best for his people and the development of his home. He had a lot of support from communist countries such as Cuba and the Soviet Union. This allegiance would put a target on his back by the United States Government. Trying to squash the tensions with the U.S. would eventually get him overthrown and killed.

Next I learned that Grenada supports its economy through the trading of spices. It has some of the world's biggest exports of nutmeg and Mace crops. Also, being a caribbean island, it has an increasing profit in tourism

why I chose Tetiyetti and the Devil

Tetiyetti and the Devil is story about making the final choice in your life in spite of what you were taught or what you know. It is a funeral story that originates in Guadeloupe and told during or at funerals. It is a tale of a woman who has a daughter who is now at marrying age. Now before she became of marrying age both her parents taught her of what she should want in her future husband and warned her of what she should beware of when certain men approached her.  

 As the story goes on different male characters, such as the Goat and the Pig, approached the mother concerning her daughter to be wed. Confident in her daughter’s judgement because of her teachings, the Mother would reply subtly “that’s not up to me, but to her”, but with excitement would tell her daughter “Tetyetti , Tetyetti , that goat wants to marry you!”, or “Tetyetti , Tetyetti , a pig is asking for you, a pig is asking for you. The mother knew what a great opportunity this was for her daughter and hoping she would accept it.   Unfortunately, Tetyetti decline them both and rudely sent them away because they didn’t “sound” like the husband that she wanted.

After rereading the story I asked myself why the story use animals as potential husbands and why the Mother acted so excited in telling Tetyetti an animal wants to marry her.  In doing research I searched what both the Pig and the Goat symbolizes.  The male goat symbolizes sensuality, determination, health, vitality and virility. As for the pig, it symbolizes abundance, wealth, strength and never wanting for mundane needs. The mother knew these were the best opportunities that the daughter had.  She saw the men and called them for what she knew they could give Tetyetti. Since “the child was very hard to please, and found no one to her taste”, she foolishly declined. Not only that but she never even looked at the men. She just heard “Pig” or “Goat” and refused to meet them.

When the mother met the devil, even while he was dressed in his best suite and he wore all the gold he had, she told her daughter, “Tetyetti, Tetyetti ,a young man is asking for you”. She didn’t seem excited to tell Tetyetti about him by the side of all. Tetyetti noticed that and went to take a peek at him. Once sh saw he look the way she wanted, not only did she agree to marry him but willing to do it immediately.

You would think the mother would be happy that her daughter finally got married, but her intuition wouldn’t let her feel overjoyed but worried. She even warned her that her new husband could be a devil and she could find out by giving her a "pin and handkerchief" and telling her that after she pricks him "if slime oozes out, he's a devil". Tetiyetti and the Devil is story about making the final choice in your life in spite of what you were taught or what you know. It is a funeral story that originates in Guadeloupe and told during or at funerals. It is a tale of a woman who has a daughter who is now at marrying age. Now before she became of marrying age both her parents taught her of what she should want in her future husband and warned her of what she should beware of when certain men approached her.  

 As the story goes on different male characters, such as the Goat and the Pig, approached the mother concerning her daughter to be wed. Confident in her daughter’s judgement because of her teachings, the Mother would reply subtly “that’s not up to me, but to her”, but with excitement would tell her daughter “Tetyetti , Tetyetti , that goat wants to marry you!”, or “Tetyetti , Tetyetti , a pig is asking for you, a pig is asking for you. The mother knew what a great opportunity this was for her daughter and hoping she would accept it.   Unfortunately, Tetyetti decline them both and rudely sent them away because they didn’t “sound” like the husband that she wanted.

After rereading the story I asked myself why the story use animals as potential husbands and why the Mother acted so excited in telling Tetyetti an animal wants to marry her.  In doing research I searched what both the Pig and the Goat symbolizes.  The male goat symbolizes sensuality, determination, health, vitality and virility. As for the pig, it symbolizes abundance, wealth, strength and never wanting for mundane needs. The mother knew these were the best opportunities that the daughter had.  She saw the men and called them for what she knew they could give Tetyetti. Since “the child was very hard to please, and found no one to her taste”, she foolishly declined. Not only that but she never even looked at the men. She just heard “Pig” or “Goat” and refused to meet them.

When the mother met the devil, even while he was dressed in his best suite and he wore all the gold he had, she told her daughter, “Tetyetti, Tetyetti ,a young man is asking for you”. She didn’t seem excited to tell Tetyetti about him by the side of all. Tetyetti noticed that and went to take a peek at him. Once sh saw he look the way she wanted, not only did she agree to marry him but willing to do it immediately.

You would think the mother would be happy that her daughter finally got married, but her intuition wouldn’t let her feel overjoyed but worried. Tetyetti was so caught up in having her "perfect" husband by covering for him. Pricking herself, she lied to her mother about the slime. It wasn't until the day the Devil started to eat Tetyetti she told the truth and cried for help, but both parents wouldn't help her because they already warned her and she lied. Tetyetti cried for the mother,"she didn't say a word" in response. She cried to her father, he replied, "agh! I don't give a dam! i had already warned her to beware." I wasn't until she cried ou for the little brother who felt the urgency to help his sister by grabbing a knife and cutting open the devil.

I find it very interesting that it is cultural that stories like this one are told in Guadeloupe. I do understand why though. This story teaches the youth to take heed to the teaching of your elders who know the way and not  allow yourself to get caught up into appearances or what you think your life should look like. your worst nightmare could be disguised as you greatest dream.

References: 

whatismyspiritanimal.com/spirit-totem-power-animal-meanings/mammals/pig-symbolism-meaning/#PigSymbolism

whatismyspiritanimal.com/spirit-totem-power-animal-meanings/mammals/goat-symbolism-meaning/#GoatSymbolism