A Dictionary and Catalog of African American Folklife of the South [Hardcover]

Sherman E. Pyatt (Author), Alan Johns (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313279993 | ISBN-13: 978-0313279997 | Publication Date: November 30, 1999

African Americans of the South have long had a rich tradition of folklore and customs, many of which predate the Civil War. Some of these beliefs originated in the South, while others have their roots in voodoo and African religions. But with the end of the Civil War and the decline of segregation, the folklife of Southern African Americans has been disappearing. Many African American children were taught to forget all reminders of the long hard years of slavery, and many African Americans continue to be unaware of their people's cultural contributions in song, dance, art, and literature. While folklore has always been an intrinsic part of African American society, it was not until the early 1940s that African American folklore was a subject of research. As a reference work, this volume preserves the folklife of Southern African Americans and refers readers to additional sources of information. The first part includes alphabetically arranged entries for a wide range of topics from Southern African American folklife, such as critter stew, death customs, evil spirits, High John the Conqueror, peach tree leaves, persimmon beer, quilts, ragtime, and snakes. Information for these entries was drawn from interviews and from scholarly works. The entries include cross-references to entries in the second part of the volume, which is an extensive catalog of books, articles, and other sources of information. These works are arranged in topical chapters to facilitate research.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

African American folklore is a vibrant, living cultural force brought into being by a people removed from their culture and placed into a new and strange environment. The African American folklife of the South, rich in spirit and tradition, is explored in this encyclopedia.

The first part is a highly selective dictionary that defines topics gathered from secondary sources and from 27 interviewees chosen for their knowledge of African American folkways. Very brief entries are arranged alphabetically, from A long road has no end (an aphorism meaning "Don't take the easy way out") to Zydeco. Examples of other entries include Anansi stories; Egg in the hand ("Hoodoo method of finding a murderer"); Joplin, Scott; Storyville; and Vinegar pie. Topics taken from secondary sources are followed by a number or numbers that refer to citations in the bibliography section of the work. The bibliography is a catalog of more than 1,900 sources divided into seven chapters, including "General Works," "Folk Music," and "Myths, Tales and Customs." A section of black-and-white photos showing various aspects of southern black culture, as well as some of the interviewees, is included in the volume, as are appendixes listing major African American cultural festivals, libraries and archives, state cultural programs, and the interviewees.

Although there is some interesting information to be gleaned from the dictionary section, the most valuable part of the book is the extensive bibliography. Overall, this useful and clearly laid out reference source, more specific and narrower in focus than Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art [RBB Ap 1 98], is a solid enhancement for black history or American folklife sections in academic and large public libraries.

Review

“[T]he most valuable part of the book is the extensive bibliography. Overall, this useful and clearly laid out reference source...is a solid enhancement for black history or American folklife sections in academic and large public libraries.”–Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

“The present volume is a handy introductory guide to the field.”–American Reference Books Annual

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (November 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313279993
• ISBN-13: 978-0313279997
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,657,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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