Conference hydra::dejavu

436.0. "The White Witch of Jamaica" by ERASER::KALLIS (Cthulhu. Just say f'thagan.) Thu Aug 06 1987 09:28

                      -<A shade of difference>-
    
    Having just returned from Jamaica, a few small tidbits of a paranormal
    nature.
    
    First, a light one:
    
    Jasmaica has its traffic drive on the left, even as in the U.K.
    Their traffic signs are like those elsewhere, e.g., SLOW -- CATTLE
    CROSSING.
    
    I was amused to see one perfectly legitimate traffic sign that said:
    
    
                           --------------------
                           |                  |
                           |       SLOW       |
                           |                  |
                           |  FORTUNE TELLER  |
                           |                  |
                           --------------------
    
    On a more serious subject:
    
    On the road out of Montego Bay going towards Ocho Rios is a large
    plantation house, a carefully preserved relic of an earlier age.
    It's called Rose Hall [aka Rosehall] and was the home of Annie Palmer.
    
    Annie Palmer may not be a well-known name here, but in Jamaica she
    was notorious as a witch.  A song, _The White Witch of Jamaica_
    was inspired by her, and a Jamaican perfume, White Witch, was named
    after her.
    
    "White witch," in Annie Palmer's case, doesn't mean she was a good
    witch; rather, that she was caucasian.  She was neither a Satanist
    nor a Wiccan; she practiced obeah magic, and apparently was pretty
    good at it.  She was married three times, with each of her husbands
    meeting a quick death; she was reputedly very beautiful and very
    wealthy.  According to stories, she took a fancy to a young man
    who hired on to her sugar plantation as a bookkeeper.  He became
    infatuated with her, but he also became invilved with a half-caste
    Jamaican girl whose grandfather was an obeahman of some power. 
    Annie Palmer hexed the girl, and her grandfather's efforts were
    not enough to break the spell, so he killed her by the less elegant
    expedient of strangling her in revenge for his granddaughter.
    
    There's a lot more about Annie Palmer and her estate that I hope
    to probe the next time I visit Jamaica.  But I thought I should
    share this here.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    Watched a movie on cable last night that involved Florida, Jamaica,
    and a fishing boat. The name of the fishing boat was "WHITE WITCH".
    
    Interesting huh????
    
    
    Steve

    I'd love to hear more Steve.

    Re .2:
    
    So would I.  I was only able to pick up a little about Annie Palmer.
    I hope to find out more in time.
    
    She does sound like an interesting person, though not a very nice
    one.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    I was there over Memorial Day weekend.
    
    It was very interesting!  One other little tidbit...
    The house closes at 6:00 pm because it is said that
    anytime after 6:00 her ghost is likely to appear. Our guide
    said that they have returned in the mornings sometimes only to        
    find things moved around.