True manhood is not defined, in my view, by how many women you can have sex with. Neither is it the capacity for consuming alcoholic beverages either. Yet, Trinidad and Tobago society sets this as the standard for male prowess.
Listen to the lyrics our “entertainers”, who are held in high esteem, espouse in our twin-island republic. Their genre follows two main themes: sex and alcohol. No wonder, our society is filled with moral decadence and decay.
Despite this, our leaders endorse this definition by participating in “we” culture, instead of promoting true manliness, fatherhood and the example of an honourable carriage for our people to follow. As a result, our nation has marched headlong into the dark abyss of criminal and moral mayhem.
Almost at the start of every year participants in our country’s Carnival pay unashamed homage to Bacchus (The Roman god known by the Greeks as Dionysus). It is this Roman deity’s name from which we get today’s English word “bacchanal”. Many will be surprised to learn of the similarities between the celebrations held for Bacchus and our world-renowned Carnival.
Dionysus was the god of wine and debauchery – excessive or immoral activities involving sex, alcohol, food, or drugs. Women were among its primary participants. They would quite literarily let themselves “go”. They wore, at times, animal-skin costumes, and they would be partially naked or completely nude. They engaged in wild dancing and ecstatic behaviour. This, coupled with their nakedness, attracted many men.
Another characteristic of the worship of Dionysus involved phallic songs – focus on the size of the penis. Need I remind the connoisseurs of Trinidad and Tobago’s music of this 2000 phallic offering by the soca artiste called Preacher: “…two sapodilla and a nine inch banana.”?
Among the numerous odes of Trinidad and Tobago’s 2017 Carnival is this lyrical offering from the artiste known as Pternsky “Enjoy yuh (your) self…” – a verse that is part of many soca songs. Dionysus was also known as the god of joy and burden. He is associated with exuberance but also death. In mythical funerary art Hades (The Greek god of the underworld – hell) and Dionysus are the same.
Therefore, it is no surprise to me why our murder rate keeps climbing. In place of the animal sacrifices which were part of the celebrations for Dionysus, our land instead is paying with human blood. Dionysus’ dark side was said to involve murder, bloodshed, madness and violence which included gender violence. Dionysian celebrations were also viewed as having a negative impact on family life.
Ultimately, you have a choice to make citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. You can continue going down the path of destruction you have chosen for yourselves, or decide to make a different offering to God, family and a truly honourable future.