What is "jumbee"

A Jumbee, jumbie or mendo is a type of mythological spirit or demon in the folklore of some Caribbean countries. Jumbee is the generic name given to all malevolent entities; however, there are numerous kinds of jumbees, that reflect the Caribbean’s complex history and ethnic makeup, drawing on African, Amerindian, East Indian, Dutch, English, and even Chinese mythology. People in English-speaking Caribbean states that were colonized by the British commonly believe in this creature. The belief is also held by practitioners of Obeah, a form of mystical wizardry that encompasses traditional African beliefs and Western European, primarily Anglican, images and beliefs concerning the dead. Various islands – including Antigua and Barbuda in the east, The Bahamas in the north, Guyana and as far south as Trinidad – have had a long held tradition of folklore that includes the jumbee. Different cultures have different concepts of jumbees, but the general idea is that people who have been evil are destined to become instruments of evil (jumbee) in death. Unlike the ghost folklore which represents a wispy fog-like creature, the jumbee casts a dark shadowy figure.

The people of the Congo spoke of what they believed to be Vumbi - ancestral ghost - which makes one wonder if there is any correlation between the words Jumbi and Vumbi.