Dear Editor,
I think that I may be in a position to make a significant contribution to the character behind the saying “Bear yuh chafe like Banwahri”.
During the early 80’s while residing periodically at Barabina in the North West area I began to write a story that eventually became the comic book trilogy ‘Shadow of the Jaguar.’ By the late 80’s when I was preparing to self publish the series, I began looking for sponsors through advertising. One of the sponsors was a senior friend who had a serious interest in the film arts and in animation, the late Len Beharry.
For the trilogy he took the back page. The contents of his ads in the final two issues were all based on local folk lore characters, in issue #2 we presented a record of the real Banwahri (see copy attached).
Mr Beharry as a young man knew someone who had known the real man somewhere in the 1920’s early30’s, his story was quite fresh at that time. Banwahri was a popular hand truck porter in the Thomas lands area, where in that period farmers deposited their produce. Banwahri’s hand truck was padded with jute bags, he was said to sleep under a tree on his truck and ignored the ginger beer sellers and their delicacies who frequented this makeshift market area.
Banwahri was considered to be very mean to himself, in the context of not eating or buying anything. One day he was found dead on his padded truck; when they tore off the bags from the truck, there before them were rolls of bills, amounting to thousands. It is believed that the money went into the Colony treasury. Thus was born the legendary reference “Bear yuh chafe like Banwahri”.
Yours faithfully,
Barrington Braithwaite
Mr Barrington,
It seems as if your work was published during the late 80s, some twenty years or so after the term was first used. During the late 80’s almost every Guyanese were familiar with the term, “Banwari seh bear yuh chafe”. Like I said, the name Banwari is popular amongst East Indians. All Indians from the village of Banawar is called a Banawri, and it is not unusual from immigrants to name themselves after their villages. Sure, there must have been Banwaris during the 20s, 19th century and so on.
Mr Beharry claimed that he knew someone, who had known the real Banwari. If your work was published before 1970, it would have made a big difference. However, it was published during the late 80s.
Rgds,
Red Lion
http://www.gtrl.tv
The true origins of this story, like a lot of folklore, will be lost to time. The poster above makes valid points and stand by his beliefs about the origins, while the letter writer’s story sounds warm and believable. Like many other Guyanese phrases and stories, the true origin might never be found, but I do enjoy reading every single one of them.
I find it a bit hard to believe that in the 1920s a porter could have been able to save “thousands of dollars”. Even if he never bought any food, clothes or anything else, thousands of dollars was still a lot of money back then. I’m a bit skeptical about that part of the story.
Yea i Miss that one….”Thousands of Dollars”. However, if this incident did occurred then it would have made the news at that time. Is there any article(s) around from that time?
Finally, Finally we arrive at who is Banwahri. I believe this account of who is banwahri more than most. When I gave my take on this Banwahri story, even though it was fictional, the moderator chose not to carry it. Since then I have read many letters to the Editor, which carried a fictional or religious tone to them.
I was not too supportive of the Banwahri the barber from Annandale story for a lot of reasons. I do not dispute that the man did use the phrase “bare yuh chafe”, however, I don’t think it was originally his.
As a child I grew up hearing, from the older folks, how hard the East Indians worked and saved their money. A popular saying in my neighbourhood – my grandparents were from Essequibo, was that an Indian would eat salt, pepper with rice and build his house and would die just before he moved in. This saying was sometimes used in a derogatory manner but as I got older and probably faced with the same responsibilties as Banwahri, I came to realise that life is not all about you and certain sacrifices are necessary especially when one has a family.
It is however sad, if true, that Banwahri savings went to the Colony Treasury and not his relatives because he certainly had envisioned a better life, either for him or his family.
Oh, and another thing: if you maximize the image, in the second paragraph it says “hundred dollar bills”. Were there hundred dollar bills in 1920s British Guiana? Does anyone know?
And one more thing. In British Guiana, was the currency called dollars? I know the English used pounds and I believe the currency used in British Guiana had a different name (unless I’m wrong). If the story is accurate, wouldn’t the person who relayed the story have said, “…the bags were taken off the hand truck, hundred ‘fill in the blank’ bills were found”?
Sometimes stories like this one can never be traced. As time passes we add our little bits and pieces to it and it eventually takes on a life of its own. That’s what makes it legendary.
It is important to note that besides the term, “bear yuh chafe”, Guyanese use a variety of vernaculars to describe the “bear u chafe” situation. Yes, the “eat salt and rice” one is popular too. Probably this one came about by Lord Krishna, cause salt and rice have been around from time immemorial (smile). What you think?
Rgds,
Red Lion
All acount and submission of the origin of the Banwari story is true! Doesn’t matter if they contradict. They are part of our folklore.
Those “ ginger beer sellers and their delicacies” were the ones that you were most afraid of.
They always attempt to distract the drivers and porters to take away the driver’s merchandise—Not many people would engage them.
The only way to stop the harassment was to hire Afro Guyanese drivers or porters who respond to their tricks accordingly.
Whether it was “Mr. Banwarrie” or “like dem Banawaris always say…” or whatever, isn’t it time to let the matter rest?