Mama Sranan

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

Literally, “Mother Suriname”.

Proper noun

Mama Sranan

1. A national personification of Suriname as a woman or a mother goddess
   • c. 1950, Albert Helman, Kot'singi [Tale-interrupting song]‎^[1], quoted in Adyosi / Afscheid, Stichting Instituut ter Bevordering van de Surinamistiek, published 1994, page 62:

     Na disi wawan de un trutru Manspasi: / firgit' fosten kodya, bigin opo pasi / fu meki mama Sranan waka go doro / pe toekomst de wakt' un, son opo na syoro, / wan dei di Sranan sa kon breiti, kon krin, / te nowan sa prefuru fu kosi un skin.

     This alone is our true Emancipation: / forget the cudgels of old, begin to open up roads / to allow Mother Suriname to march forward / to where the future awaits us, the sun rises at the shore, / a day that Suriname will rejoice, will be purified / when no one will dare to curse our skin colour.

   • 1981, Thea Doelwijt, Prisiri stari. De pretster. Wan komedi-pré gi pikin. Een theaterspel voor kinderen [The star of joy. A theatre play for children]‎^[2], Paramaribo: Eldoradoboek, →ISBN, page 114:

     Ini 1974 te kon miti a srefidensi foe Sranan (1975), a Doe-Theater pré: Libi Span ini na ati joe^{[sic – meaning foe]} Sranan - wan totaal-theater-pré, pe singi, pokoe, dansi nanga pré moksi kon na wan, èn pe den someni koeltoeroe foe Sranan ben e begi foe a krakti foe Mama Sranan.

     [Ini 1974 te kon miti a srefidensi fu Sranan (1975), a Doe-Theater prei: Libi Span ini na ati fu Sranan - wan totaal-theater-prei, pe singi, poku, dansi nanga prei moksi kon na wan, èn pe den someni kulturu fu Sranan ben e begi fu a krakti fu Mama Sranan.]

     In 1974 until the independence of Suriname (1975), the Doe-Theater performed: Life's Exciting in the Heart of Suriname - a total-theatre play where song, music, dance and theatre mixed together, and where Suriname's many cultures invoked the strength of Mother Suriname.