![]() ![]() ![]() 'A cracked edifice was a species of Mumbo Jumbo'.įirst published in 1899, The Story of Little Black Sambo has a titular protagonist whose parents are named "Black Mumbo" and "Black Jumbo". It also appears in Thomas Hardy's A Pair of Blue Eyes published in 1873. "He never dreamed of disputing their pretensions, but did homage to the miserable Mumbo jumbo they paraded." The phrase appears in Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit, originally published in serial form between 18. Park assures us, that the dress of Mumbo is suffered to hang from a tree at the entrance of each town which would hardly be the case if the women were not persuaded that it is the dress of some supernatural being. Daylight puts an end to this indecent and unmanly revel.That the women are deluded seems evident for Mr. This unfortunate victim being thereupon immediately seized, is stripped naked, tied to a post, and severely scourged with Mumbo's rod, amidst the shouts and derision of the whole assembly and it is remarkable, that the rest of the women are the loudest in their exclamations on this occasion against their unhappy sister. He begins his pantomime at the approach of night and as soon as it is dark, he enters the town, and proceeds to the Bentung or market-place, at which all the inhabitants immediately assemble.the ceremony commences with songs and dances, which continue till midnight, about which time Mumbo fixes on the offender. This strange minister of justice, who is either the husband himself, or some person instructed by him, disguised in a sort of masquerade habit, made of the bark of trees, and armed with the rod of public authority, announces his coming by loud and dismal screams in the woods near the town. On these occasions, the interposition of Mumbo Jumbo is called in and it is always decisive. Polygamy being allowed among these people, every man marries as many wives as he can conveniently maintain and the consequence is, that family quarrels sometimes rise to such a height, that the husband's authority is not sufficient to restore peace among the ladies. Mumbo Jumbo: A strange bugbear employed by the Pagan Mandingos for the purpose of keeping their women in subjection. ![]() In its figurative sense, Mumbo Jumbo is an object of senseless veneration or a meaningless ritual.Īccording to the 1803 Supplement to Encyclopædia Britannica Third Edition: Mumbo Jumbo is a noun and is the name of a grotesque idol said to have been worshipped by some tribes. Īccording to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary: Mungo Park's travel journal Travels in the Interior of Africa (1795) describes 'Mumbo Jumbo' as a character, complete with "masquerade habit", whom Mandinka males would dress up as in order to resolve domestic disputes. In the 18th century Mumbo Jumbo referred to a West African god. Mumbo Jumbo is a West African word often cited by historians and etymologists as deriving from the Mandinka word "Maamajomboo", which refers to a masked male dancer who takes part in religious ceremonies. ![]() It may also refer to practices based on superstition, rituals intended to cause confusion, or languages that the speaker does not understand. For example, "I don't understand all that legal mumbo jumbo in the fine print." The phrase is often used to express humorous criticism of middle-management, and specialty jargon, such as legalese, that non-specialists have difficulty in understanding. Mumbo jumbo, or mumbo-jumbo, is confusing or meaningless language. Believers in the "heathen" god Mumbo Jumbo are contrasted favorably with World War I-era Christendom in this March 1915 cartoon from The National Rip-Saw, a socialist monthly. ![]()
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