A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
A girl sent for water receives help lifting her heavy tub from an old witch-man, who tells her not to identify him. Her aunt pressures her to disclose the secret, then hides her in an iron chest. The witch-man comes at night, tastes tears seeping through the keyhole, breaks the chest open and carries her away. His knocking knees sound like music, and he announces that the captive will feed him and his dog.
The girl calls through song to Juggin Straw Blue, her intended partner. His own mother, also a witch, wakes him and equips him with eight eggs. The adversary has seven heads and seven eggs. Juggin breaks an egg to produce daylight and cuts off a head; the witch-man restores night with one of his own. The alternating contest ends with all seven heads severed. Juggin returns with the girl, and they marry.
Origins & earliest records
Martha Warren Beckwith published this account in Jamaica Anansi Stories (1924), explicitly credited to David Roach, Lacovia. Her preface dates the collection visits to summer1919 and winter1921; a particular interview date is not supplied here. The published witness does not establish the first oral telling.
Records & interpretation
The complete story79 was read. Juggin Straw Blue is the rescuer’s name, not the monster’s; the profile’s descriptive title prevents that common conflation. The tale’s egg count is preserved without inventing a separate use for the eighth egg.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Jamaica Anansi Stories
Story79, Juggin Straw Blue, printed p.92. Complete selected narrative read, with teller heading and preface.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary textBeckwith1924: Story79, Juggin Straw Blue, printed p.92.Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.