Rhyging
Encyclopedia
Ivanhoe "Rhyging" Martin was a Jamaican outlaw and folk hero
who died at age 24 of gunshot wounds sustained during a shootout with police officers on September 9, 1948, in Lime Cay
, Jamaica
. Rhyging is regarded as the initial rudeboy.
Often alluded to historically as the "Jamaican Dillinger
", Martin managed to escape from prison, elude a massive dragnet, and live a life of crime for years with the help of the Jamaican public before his last stand
at Lime Cay.
The term rhyging is a Jamaican patois word meaning wild, hot, or bad. Martin was nicknamed this by the locals due to his flamboyant criminal activities.
Rhyging's acts made him a folk hero for the poverty-stricken residents of the Jamaican ghettos of the 1940s. Ska musician Jimmy Cliff
referred to him as a sort of Jamaican Robin Hood
, who was "very much on the side of the people".
Rhyging continues to play a role in Jamaican culture as a duppy
(bogeyman
) used to scare children.
Folk hero
A folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
who died at age 24 of gunshot wounds sustained during a shootout with police officers on September 9, 1948, in Lime Cay
Lime Cay
Lime Cay is the main islet of the Port Royal Cays off Port Royal, Jamaica, located in the northeast of the reef.Located 15 minutes by boat from Port Royal, it has a small beach which makes it a popular location for recreation and sunbathing...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. Rhyging is regarded as the initial rudeboy.
Often alluded to historically as the "Jamaican Dillinger
Dillinger
-Films:*Dillinger , a film made about the life of the gangster John Dillinger*Dillinger , a film made about the life of the gangster John Dillinger*Dillinger , a film made about the life of the gangster John Dillinger...
", Martin managed to escape from prison, elude a massive dragnet, and live a life of crime for years with the help of the Jamaican public before his last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
at Lime Cay.
The term rhyging is a Jamaican patois word meaning wild, hot, or bad. Martin was nicknamed this by the locals due to his flamboyant criminal activities.
Rhyging's acts made him a folk hero for the poverty-stricken residents of the Jamaican ghettos of the 1940s. Ska musician Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
referred to him as a sort of Jamaican Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
, who was "very much on the side of the people".
Rhyging continues to play a role in Jamaican culture as a duppy
Duppy
Duppy is a Jamaican Patois word of Northwest African origin meaning ghost or spirit. Much of Caribbean folklore revolves around duppies. Duppies are generally regarded as malevolent spirits. They are said to come out and haunt people at night mostly, and people from the islands claim to have seen...
(bogeyman
Bogeyman
A bogeyman is an amorphous imaginary being used by adults to frighten children into compliant behaviour...
) used to scare children.
Cultural references
- Martin inspired the 1972 film The Harder They ComeThe Harder They ComeThe Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell.The film stars reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, who plays Ivanhoe Martin, a character based on Rhyging, a real-life Jamaican criminal who achieved fame in the 1940s...
starring Jimmy CliffJimmy CliffJimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
as Ivan Martin and directed by Perry HenzellPerry HenzellPerry Henzell was most famous for being the director of the first Jamaican feature film, The Harder They Come , starring Jimmy Cliff....
.
- He is also mentioned by the band The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
in the song "The Guns of BrixtonThe Guns of Brixton"The Guns of Brixton" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon, who grew up in Brixton, south London...
" off the 1979 album release London CallingLondon CallingLondon Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...
.
Sources
- Lloyd BradleyLloyd BradleyLloyd Bradley is a British music writer.Born in London, Bradley discovered Jamaican music in his teenage years, while going out in the North London based sound systems and created his own named Dark Star System in the end of the sixties.He worked on several in their early years Q Magazine and...
, Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King, 2001 for the UK version, Penguin Books Ltd, UK, ISBN 0-14-023763-1