Surinam, the Land of Kottomissies
By “Awake!” correspondent in Surinam
SURINAM‘S varied population includes Creoles, Hindus, Indonesians, Bush Negroes, Amerindians, Chinese, Dutch and others. In its capital city of Paramaribo one can see ladies in modern dress, but also Hindu women in saris, Indonesian women in sarongs, Bush Negroes in brilliantly colored togas, and others wearing the “kottojakki.” I would like to tell you about this dress.
Do you find its name strange? Its origin is from the Surinam language, “kotto” meaning coat, and “jakki” meaning jacket. Of course, “missie” means Miss or Mistress. So that is why the lady wearing this typical dress is called a “kottomissie.”
The story of this dress goes back to slavery times, more than a hundred years ago. Most of the slaves brought from Africa walked about practically naked, and many of the young girls were very beautiful. It frequently occurred that slave owners would become enamored by their bodily charms and would make improper advances to them. So it was decided to try to discourage this.
The wives of the slave owners reportedly met together to discuss the matter. They decided to design a dress that would cover the entire bodies of the girls, and make them appear shapeless. Thus the “kottojakki” was conceived!
The women began by designing a large undergarment or slip. They tied it with a “kooi,” that is, a piece of cloth filled with straw, which was worn above the hips. Then the slip was pulled up so that it would hang over the “kooi” in a puff, thus hiding the hips. A pretty-colored “kotto,” or outer garment, was worn over the slip. And to top it off a double “jakki,” or jacket, was designed. This was just long enough to meet the “kooi,” and had three-quarter sleeves. The material was heavily starched. So in this outfit a slender girl looked like someone weighing two hundred pounds!
An “anjisa,” or head covering, was designed to go with the dress. In time, women began tying these colorful kerchief head coverings in such a way as to indicate their various moods, whether of love, jealousy, anger, and so forth.
The style of “anjisa” had other meanings besides indicating the wearer’s mood. By means of them girls made dates with their boyfriends, and showed whether they still loved them.
Position or occupation, too, was indicated by the “anjisa” worn. For example, there was a type that identified harlots. A slave who took care of the slave owner’s children wore a special type of “kottojakki,” and an “anjisa” with a wide round brim. On top of it she wore a hat. So everyone could see by her dress that she was a special slave girl.
A “mek sani édé,” or “make things” head covering, is very interesting. It is made by tying three “anjisas” together, with all twelve corners sticking out. And to match this, three “kottojakkies” were worn over each other, each one shorter than the other so that all three were seen. An untied “anjisa” was held in each hand. This dress was for special occasions, such as when an influential person from abroad visited Surinam.
The “kottomissies” would welcome such a person by curtsying and saying a few welcoming words. Then, while still facing the person, they would retrace their steps and sway the “anjisas” in their hands. They would also spread untied “anjisas” on the ground so that the influential person could walk on them. This meant: “I honor you so much that I even make you walk on that which I wear on my head.”
A more recent style of tying the “anjisa” is called “oto baka,” which means automobile bumper. This style is made by folding the ends of the “anjisa” together at the back of the head in the form of a bumper.
Now it is only the older women who are at times seen wearing the “kottojakki,” but without the straw filling. A simply tied “anjisa” is more frequently worn. For special events, however, such as Emancipation Day, which celebrates the abolition of slavery in 1863, many women, young and old, parade the streets in this interesting dress of earlier days.