High John the Conqueror
High John the Conqueror is an African American folk hero rooted in the oral traditions that emerged during the era of slavery in America. Often depicted as a clever trickster, High John uses his resourcefulness and sometimes magical abilities to outsmart enslavers, lifting the spirits of those oppressed. His character is thought to originate from tales of a prince from the Congo who, despite being captured and sold into slavery, remains undefeated both physically and emotionally in folklore narratives. High John is frequently invoked in hoodoo magic, where he symbolizes luck, strength, and confidence, with practitioners believing they can summon his spirit for guidance.
The tales of High John also include themes of love, supernatural challenges, and clever escapes, such as his courtship of the devil's daughter, Lilith. Over time, High John’s stories have been revitalized in contemporary culture through various artistic expressions, including exhibitions and plays. Additionally, the High John the Conqueror root—derived from the Ipomoea jalapa plant—holds significance in hoodoo practices, connecting the folk hero to spiritual rituals. These rich narratives serve as cultural touchstones, offering insights into the resilience and creativity of the African American experience through history.
High John the Conqueror
High John the Conqueror is a relatively obscure African American folk hero of uncertain origin. The tales associated with him arose out of the era when Africans were enslaved in America. In most of the tales, High John is portrayed as a clever and resourceful trickster and uses these skills to outwit enslavers. He often wins out against them even when they seem to have the upper hand. In some tales, High John arrives or is summoned by enslaved people to help or encourage them. High John the Conqueror also refers to a plant or plant-derived substance that is used in hoodoo magic rituals.
Background
High John the Conqueror is an example of African American folklore, which is the oral history of enslaved Africans from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. At the time, these stories were important sources of information about the past and spiritual matters. Some contained important lessons for living under the difficult circumstances faced by enslaved Africans. These stories are important in the twenty—first century because they contain cultural clues to the African American experience and provide a connection to their everyday lives in the past.
There are different types of African American folklore. Origin tales explain how the world came to be the way it is. For example, origin tales might explain where thunder and lightning come from or why turtles have hard shells. Other tales were used to convey life lessons and usually involved animals that acted like people. Some stories were simply silly tales, using exaggeration and invoking laughter to try to bolster the sagging spirits of the enslaved and bring hope. Still others emphasized the role of a Mother Wit character. These characters appeared weak but were very clever, using their intelligence to defeat opponents who outwardly seem stronger. Br’er Rabbit is an example of a Mother Wit character. Some Mother Wit characters go beyond simply outsmarting another character. These characters have a supernatural or even divine aspect to them and are often referred to as tricksters. The supernatural is another important aspect of African American folklore. It includes ghosts, spirits, and gods. Some tricksters are gods or god-like. Others receive help from a supernatural source or wield some supernatural abilities. High John the Conqueror is usually portrayed as a trickster with a clever wit who sometimes has access to supernatural abilities.
Overview
The origin of the High John legends is uncertain. The character goes by other names as well such as John the Conqueror, Low John, Low John de Conker, John de Conquer, Juan el Conquistador, John, and Jack. High John is most often said to be a prince from the African Congo who was captured and sold into slavery. He had magical powers that allowed him to get an upper hand in almost any situation as well as a perpetually optimistic attitude. High John was never defeated physically or emotionally in any folktales. Instead, he played tricks on the enslavers, turning their efforts to take advantage of him against them. This helped lift the spirits of enslaved people.
In one tale, High John arrives to help his countrymen who are enslaved by a particularly vicious owner. One time, he tells them he wants to take them somewhere for lunch where they will get a song to lift their spirits. When they protest that their absence will be noticed and bring punishment, he has them stretch out under a tree to rest. He then uses magic and astral projection to take them on the trip he promised, while it appears to others that they are simply taking a break beneath the tree.
In one tale, High John falls in love with the devil’s daughter, Lilith. The devil agrees to let him marry Lilith if he can accomplish a series of impossible tasks such as plowing a 60-acre field in half a day and planting and harvesting the corn from the field in the second half of the day. With the help of a magical axe and plow given to him by Lilith, High John accomplishes the tasks. But he also knows that the devil plans to kill him regardless of whether he completes the tasks.
In some versions of the story, High John and Lilith escape on the devil’s own horse and travel to Africa. In others, they shapeshift to escape but must give up any use of magic to remain undetected. As a result, High John leaves his magic behind in the American South.
Like some other folk characters, High John never dies. Instead, he becomes a fixture in hoodoo, the collection of beliefs, practices, and rituals and traditions that formed a religion for many enslaved Africans. Hoodoo practitioners believe that High John can be summoned to endow the summoner with his wit and confidence. They believe he can bring luck, success, and strength.
The legends of High John fell out of common knowledge after slavery ended in the late 1800s. However, High John remained an important part of hoodoo. In contemporary times, his stories have received new life through exhibits and plays. These include the 2017 art exhibit “High John the Conqueror Ain’t Got Nothing On Me” at Rush Arts in Philadelphia and the family-friendly play “The Adventures of High John the Conqueror,” which was performed in Cleveland in 2012. The High John character is also alluded to in several blues songs, most notably the Muddy Waters classic “Hoochie-Coochie Man.”
According to the High John legends, the trickster left his magic behind in the roots of the Ipomoea jalapa or Ipomoea purge plant. This plant was used by Native Americans who taught enslaved people how to use it as well. Because of this connection to the legends, the plant became commonly known as High John the Conqueror. It is considered a staple in some hoodoo practices and rituals.
Bibliography
Farmer, Jim. “Preview: Rob Cleveland Brings the Myth of Slave Hero High John the Conqueror to Life on Stage.” Arts ATL, 25 July 2012, www.artsatl.org/preview-actor-rob-cleveland-takes-legend-high-john-conqueror/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.
“High John the Conqueror.” Oxford Reference, www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095936832;jsessionid=636714E178B366570D3BD988BCF5B0E7. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.
“High John the Conqueror Root: A Staple of Hoodoo Magic.” Original Botanica, 10 Mar. 2023, originalbotanica.com/blog/high-john-the-conqueror-root-a-staple-of-hoodoo-magic. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.
James, Andre. “African American Folktales: Keeping the Culture Alive.” TOTA.World, 2018, www.tota.world/article/3928/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.
Long, Carolyn Morrow. “John the Conqueror: From Root-Charm to Commercial Product.” Pharmacy in History, Vol. 39, No. 2 (1997), pp. 47-53, www.jstor.org/stable/41111803. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.
Sanfield, Steve. Adventures of High John the Conqueror (American Storytelling), August House, 2006, www.google.com/books/edition/Adventures‗of‗High‗John‗the‗Conqueror/WxoAZha8HzwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Adventures+of+High+John+the+Conqueror+(American+Storytelling)&printsec=frontcover. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.
“Video: Black Magic Matters: Hoodoo as Ancestral Religion.” Harvard University Center for the Study of World Religions, 14 Dec. 2021, cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/magic-matters/2021/11/10. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.
Weaver, A.M. “High John the Conqueror Ain’t Got Nothing on Me’ at Rush Arts Philadelphia.” ArtBlog, 26 Mar. 2017, www.theartblog.org/2017/03/high-john-the-conqueror-aint-got-nothing-on-me/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.