Danny Williams born to wheel
Published:Saturday | October 26, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Paul H. Williams, Gleaner Writer
YALLAHS, St Thomas:
"I AM a wheeling disaster!" Jonathan 'Danny' Williams told Rural Xpress on Sunday, October 20, prior to participating in the Revival communion table procession at Bishop Raleigh Christie's Church in Yallahs, St Thomas.
But, to the contrary, he's not, based on what Rural Xpress witnessed in the wee hours of Monday. Effortlessly, he whirled a heavy, embroidered, yellow and green robe, adding more flair and drama to the already electrifying process.
That robe-twirling moment was part of a royal procession, which was full of pomp and ceremonial pizzazz. In addition to Williams and the other 'wheelers', members of the royal party, heavily accessorised, wore uniforms and elaborate costumes adorned with a multiplicity of objects to which special meanings are attached.
Striking costumes are a major part of the aesthetics of these Revival processes, and much time is spent on achieving a certain grandeur. The wheelers' robes, some with capes, are the most flamboyant as the lower sections are made to swirl, and though dancing and movement are a significant part of the rituals, only specially selected people wear the wheeling robes. Williams is one of these persons.
He, who attributed his involvement in Revivalism to his grandmother, said he has been whirling robes for many years. Williams said wheeling is his calling, but he is also an expert Revival communion table-setter. For both roles, he is well known in and out of Revival circles and is often called upon to participate in special occasion events such as vigils, wakes, and festivals.
It is for this reason that he has a variety of robes depicting different themes, which are used for different occasions. From his collection, Williams showed Rural Xpress five of his robes - the universal, the calico and bandana, the full bandana, a purple pastoral one, and the Indian robe - each of which is very heavy, comprising between 25 and 30 yards of material.
He said the weight and sizes of the wheeling robes depend on which 'spirit' or 'prophet' the wheeler is working with. It could be the Indian or African spirit, "Miriam, the river maid", Gabriel or Michael, or the prophet Abraham.
Williams said "the spirit" might tell the wheeler how to make his robes, but he designs his own robes, while a tailor cuts and assembles them. It may take a week to complete a robe, which is quite costly to produce. He said it could cost him $45,000 to $50,000 to make one robe, with as much as $20,000 for labour.
But how does he fund the making of these robes? "When the spirit gives you these things, you have to make them, and they give you ways and means of finding the resources." He said there are rewards for his efforts in swirling these heavy gowns. "Blessings and whatever I ask for in the spirit. It might not come today, but it will come later on in life," he said.
Yet, Williams said he merely does it for the fun of it all, and all that wheeling does not affect him a bit. "I can wheel from now until tomorrow and don't feel anything. I am normal and I am conscious of what I am doing," he said. The whirling that Williams does is really a spectacle to behold, especially if he is accompanied by other wheelers.
Dr Clinton Hutton, writing in Jamaica Journal, Vol 32 Nos 1-2, in describing the dramatic effect of the Revival communion processional swirling, said, "Sprays of white rum libation from the mouth also texture the atmosphere with its sight, sound, and scent as whirling robes (gowns) etch rhythmic circles of colours in the cool early morning."
And on that early morning of October 21, Rural Xpress witnessed the "rhythmic circles of colour" that Williams and the other wheelers created in Yallahs.