De Man in De Canes
“Get in here before the streetlights come on!”
How many of you heard this warning from your mother or grandmother when you were growing up? Back then, it probably felt like she was trying to rob you of the fun of nightly adventures. More likely, however, she was attempting to shield you from the dangers of darkness. Some of these were unknown and unnatural like the ghoulish ghosts or the belly-burning backoo. But there were others: very real, human threats such as de man in de canes.
Sugar cane forms a significant part of the legacy of Barbados. As a former sugar colony, the island was lined with the crop from coast to coast. Each year, fields of new canes grew and matured, standing proudly against the backdrop of the landscape. At their height, they were indicative of prosperity for the planter, a symbol of profits to come. However, they represented something much different for the average Bajan. The looming canes, dressed closely together, were known for hiding many secrets and mysteries. I have heard stories of youngsters who would wait until the canes grew to kiss the sky and would take the opportunity to venture into the belly of the canefield. There, they proceeded to sit and fill THEIR bellies with the sweet juice of the sugar cane. Their indulgence was discovered by no one, a secret well-kept by the canes. Until the cutters reached the missing middle section of the field, of course! Still, these mischievous escapades posed no real harm to anyone.
Young boy sucking sugar cane in Barbados
As you could imagine, much more menacing activities also went down in these fields. The most talked about was de man in de canes. He was reportedly a man of unscrupulous character who took advantage of the fact that bus transportation was practically non-existent. This was before the omnibus was introduced to the island in the 1920s and most Bajans had to journey long distances on foot. He would lurk behind the curtain of the canes, usually armed with a stick or other weapon, and waited patiently until some unsuspecting soul passed. Taking advantage of their lack of unawareness, he would jump out and relieve the victim of whatever valuables they had on them. This man was so excellent at his “job” that his attacks forced Bajans to become more careful as they walked along each day (Stoute).
Take into account, as well, the legend of the heartman: a menacing figure who lurked around and carved out the hearts of children. What about the steel donkey, the ghastly donkey with bloodshot eyes and chains that terrorised people at night? (Smith) Stories like these mixed with the immoral behaviour of living human beings helped to stir up very understandable fears of and skepticism about venturing around (alone) at night.
For most Bajans, the concept of ‘security in numbers’ was their main defence mechanism. For instance, the plantation workers often had to trek to and from Bridgetown on foot to buy goods. On their nightly return journey, many persons often travelled in groups, accompanied by a man. This man was the protector of the group, carrying with him a big stick with a sharp razor attached. In the event that de man in de canes wanted to test his luck, the result was sure to be bloody.
On one particular occasion, a plantation worker was making his weekly trip to the city when he suddenly felt “the call of nature”. With no pit toilets around and too far from home, he headed to the only place around him that offered some privacy. That’s right! The canes. As he relieved himself, a woman walked by, balancing on her head a basket of goods as was the common practice. Walking out of the field and unaware of exactly where he was, the young man called to the woman for directions.
“My lady!”
Now, I want you to put yourself in this woman’s shoes. You are walking alone one evening, probably thinking about what you will prepare for dinner or about the clothes you have to wash. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a man appears out of the canes when there are innumerous rumours stirring of an evil man who meets that exact criteria. Needless to say, she was royally spooked. Eyes wide like saucers, she dropped the basket and fled the scene, her blood-curdling screams cutting the country air.
Almost immediately, the young man recognised his error. No doubt, the woman was going to relay the story to anyone she could find in the nearby district. This would certainly not end well for him as many were seemingly eager to catch the cane criminal once and for all. Not wanting to end up at the receiving end of some blows or the razor, the young man put foot to pavement and ran for his life. And run he did. For hours he kept going, not even realising that not a single soul had pursued him. When he finally stopped to gather his bearings, he was in for a terrible surprise. The poor man had run in the wrong direction. Now instead of Bridgetown, he was at Bathsheba (Stoute)!
If only she’d given him the time to explain, he wouldn’t have been mistaken for de man in de canes.
Bibliography
Facebook, Beautiful Barbados, 15 Mar. 2013,
https://m.facebook.com/BeautifulBarbados/photos/when-last-have-you-sucked-
some-cane-i-remember-the-sucking-about-100-cane-one-ni/556040561107183/.
Accessed 30 Oct. 2022.
“Figure 1.” Semantic Scholar, Pamela Richardson-Ngwenya, 1 Nov. 2012,
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/A-vitalist-approach-to-sugar-cane-
breeding-in-In-of-Richardson-
Ngwenya/110042b8c5671f8a995d18d5c06f031848e48884. Accessed 30 Oct. 2022.
Smith, Christina. “Flashback Friday: Unforgettable Bajan Horror Stories, Folklore:
Loop Barbados.” Loop News, Loop News, 19 Oct. 2019,
https://barbados.loopnews.com/content/flashback-friday-bajan-tales-make-your-
heart-stop.
Stoute, Edward. “Man in De Canes and the Bay Street Ghost.” Advocate Magazine, 9
Feb. 1975, p. 7.