Topic 4 « The gardens of the Mornes »

  • During the colonial period, some enslaved Africans managed to escape from their homes to live freely. This is the “marronage”. These people were called “neg mawon”. They generally lived in remote places so as not to be found by their masters. In Martinique, these are the mornes (small mountains). For their subsistence, they practiced agriculture, hunting and gathering. They called the food gardens They are called “gardens of the mornes”.
  • The punishment for recapture by the settlers ranged from corporal punishment, to the permanent restraint mutilation (amputation) to death. In Martinique, there were few “neg mawon” communities compared to Brazil or Guyana..