Sen Michèl Arkanj

56 Sen Michèl Arkanj

The Sen Michèl Arkanj madigra is divided into two. One half is on the side of God, and the other on the side of Satan. So on one side you have the pastors, the angels and Sen Michèl Arkanj, and on the other you have the Zèl Maturin, the devils. Sen Michèl is an angel of protection and he has enough power and force to wrest back the pastors from the hands of the devils. When the devils persist in running behind the pastors Sen Michèl must do battle with them. He has a sword in his hand and he uses it to kill them – he has the power to kill all the devils. This is a special tale for Madigra, so although Sen Michèl thinks he has finished killing all the devils, he’s wrong. There’s always one devil that hangs back and hides and doesn’t come face to face with Sen Michèl. That’s because he knows Sen Michèl’s power is stronger than that of any devil. But when Sen Michèl Arkanj turns his back, the last devil resuscitates all the other dead devils by pouring a libation of water on them. He’s able to do this when Sen Michèl isn’t looking. But this is the only the Jacmel Madigra version – in the real story Sen Michèl Arkanj kills the devils for all eternity. Playing Sen Michèl Arkanj would not be my first choice. I used to be a Zèl Maturin, and I preferred that role. But the guy who played Sen Michèl got really fat, so they chose me to take his place. When you met me last Sunday you photographed me standing still, but next Sunday when you see me in the street we will get to play hard and make all the movements. I can tell you the story, but you have to see the real theatre in the street. Jony Aubin (2009)