Mocko Jumbie
The Mocko Jumbie is a towering stilt-walking spirit dancer and a central figure in St. Kitts and Nevis Carnival and folklore traditions. The name combines 'Moko' (a West African deity who guards, heals, and delivers retribution) and 'Jumbie' (a Caribbean spirit). Dressed in colorful flowing costumes and balancing on 6-to-8-foot stilts, Mocko Jumbies are believed to be ancestral spirits who walk among the living, providing protection and warding off evil. The tradition was brought to St. Kitts by enslaved Africans and has been preserved for over 200 years. In Kittitian culture, Mocko Jumbies ap