摘要：Both iconic and confounding, the gombeys are one of the most recognizable symbols of Bermudian identity and culture. Although the gombeys function as a symbol of Bermudian identity and a representation of black Bermudian heritage, in the early twentieth-century the gombey costume underwent a significant transformation. This paper argues that due to a combination of myth and mimesis the new form of gombeys emerged and was accepted as a symbol of Bermuda’s identity. Although the tradition was originally both celebratory and cathartic, over time slave owners saw an opportunity to use the tradition as yet another means to exert control over their bondsmen. The hope was that an alteration in the way slaves celebrated the gombey tradition would eventually result in a transformation of their very nature. Post-colonial theorist Homi Bhabha notes it is not uncommon for colonizers to enforce their own tastes and traditions onto the colonized body politic. By insisting that their own rituals and practices replace those of the “uncivilized,” the colonizer intends to produce a “normalized” and acceptable colonial citizen. Given the heavy British influence on the gombey tradition, it is not surprising that black Bermudians looked for a way to reinvent the gombey costume. What is incredible is how much this transformation is glossed over by even the foremost gombey experts. The refusal to admit the abrupt shift in costume can best be described by Roland Barthes theory of myth. By replacing the original gombey costume with the costume of the masqueraders, introduced by immigrants from St. Kitts and Nevis, black Bermudians were able to shed themselves of the reforming and paternal practices of their oppressor.
