The Snowy Witch of Rosehall is a popular legend in Jamaican folklore. It tells the tale of Annie Palmer, a white woman who supposedly practiced witchcraft and ruled over a sugar plantation called Rosehall in the 19th century. According to the legend, Annie Palmer was born in Haiti and moved to Jamaica as a child. She inherited Rosehall plantation after the death of her parents and quickly gained a reputation as a cruel and ruthless slave owner. Annie was said to be beautiful but with a dark heart, using her beauty to attract men before disposing of them. She is believed to have murdered multiple husbands and lovers, as well as slaves who crossed her.
Built during an age of unmatched elegance and brutality, Greenwood today retains much of that atmosphere. Hung beside the home's back entrance are ancient leather fire buckets and hoses, meager protection against rebellious slaves. Nearby, a six-foot-long steel man trap, one of many that had been placed in the woods above Greenwood, speaks of the measures used to intimidate prospective runaways.
As at Rose Hall, visitors to Greenwood nowadays are met by friendly women in 17th-century-style dresses who lead them on detailed tours of the breathtaking house. But if Robert went out to him to learn the business, the fact that he was his father s son and the heir to the property might prevent the attorney from putting the boy through the mill, while overseers, book-keepers and the rest would naturally look up to the young man, flatter him and endeavour to spoil him; thus, with the best will in the world, Robert might learn very little.
She is believed to have murdered multiple husbands and lovers, as well as slaves who crossed her. Annie's rumored practice of witchcraft added to the fear and mystique surrounding her. She was said to have had a collection of voodoo artifacts and to have used dark spells and rituals to control and manipulate those around her.
RASPUTIN
Rasputin was this Russian monk who, having been introduced to the last emperor Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, proved to be the only one capable of calming the terrible haemophiliac episodes of the heir Grand-Duke, the young Alexis.
This allowed him to gain absolute control over the parents of the unfortunate child, to the point that all Russian politic, even the fate of the Empire, depended on him. Obviously, he was hated, hated by all and considered as the deus ex machina that plunged the Empire and the Monarchy into the abyss.
Rasputin is an incomprehensible mix for the West, so typically Russian, so typically Oriental. On one side, a profoundly, sincerely mystic being who possessed an undeniable Gift, as both a healer and a seer. On the other side, a depraved man, indulging in all pleasures, a drunkard and a sexual predator.
Even if the selection of ministers he imposed on the imperial coupled turned out to be disastrous, one must admit that his predictions were surprisingly accurate. He vehemently opposed Russia joining World War I. Unfortunately, when Nicholas II was dragged into the conflict he was far away, in a hospital, recovering from a bullet wound fired by a nun who he had, if I recall, raped.
Relentlessly, he advocated that Russia had to get out of the conflict at all costs if it wanted to survive, unsurprisingly attracting the wrath of the Allies. Likewise, he made this strange prediction: he would be murdered by boyars and his passing would lead to a revolution that would spill streams of blood and annihilate the Empire and the dynasty.
Of course, besides the emperor and the empress, the Imperial Family hated the perverted monk. However, my grandmother Olga, born Russian Grand-Duchess, was one of the few admitted in the intimacy of the imperial couple, for, as the empress repeatedly expressed, she was the only one to show kindness towards her.
As a result, the youngest son of my grandmother, which she considered to be the “Russian” one of the family, that is to say my father, would accompany her on her visits to the emperor and the empress. And thus he witnessed a strange scene. He was playing with the imperial children – he was the same age as Anastasia – when one day Rasputin rushed into the playroom, picked up the heir into his arms and almost threw him against the wall. At the very same moment, the enormous chandelier under which Alexis was playing crashed to the ground, and would have inevitably killed the child had Rasputin not intervened.
At the end of 1916, Prince Yupusov – the richest young lord of Russia, married to an imperial princess – formed a plot to kill the accursed monk. He was invited to the Yupusov palace, he made his way there one night. Yupusov started by offering him a glass of Porto rife with cyanide. Rasputin drank it like it was nothing. A little later, Yupusov, not knowing what to do, shot at him a couple of times. Rasputin collapsed, bleeding. Yupusov rushed upstairs to inform his accomplices that the work was done and came back down. As he drew nearer to Rasputin, the monk got up and clung onto him. Yupusov became hysterical.
Rasputin managed to escape onto the street. Bloodied, he walked along the snowy road towards the canal. Yupusov’s accomplices followed him, repeatedly shooting at him. Finally, Rasputin fell into the canal at the end of the street. The autopsy revealed that he was not dead from his wounds but drowned by the waters of the canal.
Yupusov, in his memoirs, recalls in details this farcical scene. His accomplices, including my first cousin the Grand Duke Dimitri, who had all sworn to never reveal anything, never forgave him for recounting everything. But in truth, we only have his version. All the police files concerning the case disappeared, and Yupusov’s accomplices, true to their promise, never spoke.
It is obvious that Rasputin was murdered on that night at the Yupusov Palace, but how, by whom? How many accomplices were at Yupusov palace that evening? To this day, no one knows.
I met, about a decade ago, at Taxco in Mexico, the last confidant of Prince Yusupov, a Mexican sculptor. He disclosed two elements. After Yupusov published his story, the doctor who had provided him with cyanide to poison Rasputin wrote to him that, at the last moment, remembering the Hippocratic Oath each doctor must swear, he had not been able to bring himself to give him the poison and had instead given him a harmless liquid.
I asked the Prince’s confidant how it was possible that Rasputin, with his gift as a seer, had not foreseen his fate at the Yupusov Palace, and, more importantly, had not been able to avoid the trap laid out for him. His response was strange: “Between Rasputin and Prince Yupusov, it was a duel of psychic powers, of who would dominate the other. In this case, it was the prince who bested him. With his psychic power, he blinded Rasputin to the point that the man never guessed what awaited him at the Yupusov Palace. He went there in all innocence. “
A few months after, as the deceased had predicted, the Revolution broke out, toppling the Empire and the Imperial Family.
‘What ship you came by? I didn’t know one was expected yesterday or today.’
It was believed that she could shape-shift into a bird or a cat, making it easier for her to move undetected. The legend of the Snowy Witch of Rosehall became popularized through a book by Herbert G. de Lisser, published in 1929. De Lisser's book, titled "The White Witch of Rosehall," fictionalized the legend and added additional supernatural elements. The book contributed to the enduring fascination with Annie Palmer and the tales of her power and malevolence. While there is no historical evidence to support the existence of Annie Palmer or her alleged crimes, the legend of the Snowy Witch has become deeply ingrained in Jamaican culture. Rosehall plantation is now a popular tourist attraction and is often associated with ghostly encounters and paranormal activity. The Snowy Witch of Rosehall is a captivating and intriguing legend that continues to captivate the imaginations of locals and visitors alike. Whether fact or fiction, the story serves as a reminder of the power of folklore and the enduring legacy of those who possess both beauty and darkness..
Reviews for "The Sinister Powers of The Snowy Witch of Rosehall"
John - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "The snowy witch of Rosehall" after hearing so many great things about it, but I was left disappointed. The plot was weak and predictable, and the characters felt underdeveloped. There were moments when the writing had potential, but overall, it failed to deliver an engaging story. I wouldn't recommend it to others looking for a captivating read.
Sarah - 1 star - I don't understand the hype surrounding "The snowy witch of Rosehall" at all. The writing was overly descriptive, to the point where it became tiresome. The plot was slow and struggled to hold my interest, and the characters were forgettable. I wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately, it fell flat. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Alex - 2.5 stars - "The snowy witch of Rosehall" had an intriguing premise, but the execution left much to be desired. The pacing was all over the place, with long stretches of boredom followed by sudden, rushed action. The dialogue felt unnatural and forced, making it difficult to connect with the characters. While there were moments of potential, the overall reading experience fell short for me. I would caution others before picking up this book.