Long Bubby Suzi Gold Nose Cuff

Long Bubby Suzi is a fearsome spirit from the Kriol folklore of Belize — a tradition born from the stories carried by descendants of enslaved Africans. Out of that history of displacement and survival, a rich oral culture emerged, and Long Bubby Suzi became one of its most enduring figures. Wild-haired and hag-like, she lurks in the dark, lying in wait for disobedient children who dare to wander out alone. Her long, rope-like breasts — said to contain both milk and poison — hold the power to nurture and to discipline. When she gives chase, she throws them over her shoulder, unbound and unstoppable. A monster by reputation. A mother by nature.

In Jamaica, her name was given to the oldest known petroglyph on the island — a Taíno carving of Atabey, the Earth Mother, hidden deep in a cave in Woodside, St. Mary. Two traditions, one name. A figure who has never needed anyone’s permission to take up space.