Louisiana Folktales: Lupin Bouki and Other Creole Stories in French Dialect and English Translation

by Alcée Fortier

This collection constitutes the first complete anthology of the folktales collected by linguist/historian Alcee Fortier, including complete facsimiles of the original 1895 edition of Louisiana Folktales, as well as facsimiles of the stories published in the Publications of the Modern Language Association of America and the Journal of American Folklore. Each selection is rendered in Creole French and English translation and includes Fortier's original notes.

Genres: Folk Tales, Folklore

203 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2007

About the author

Alcée Fortier (June 5, 1856 – February 14, 1914) was a renowned Professor of Romance Languages at Tulane University in New Orleans. In the late 19th and early 20th century, he published numerous works on language, literature, Louisiana history and folklore, Louisiana Creole languages, and personal reminiscence.

Reviews

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is an excellent collection of “African Creole” folktales, be warned that the author, writing in the late 19th Century, isn’t exactly a paragon of enlightenment when it comes to race relations. He pulls out the typical stereotypes (simple, childlike, lazy, superstitious, etc.) and casually mentions that he thinks that blacks were better off under the slavery system. On the other hand, he did a fine job of collecting these stories and presenting them with minimal editing and commentary, so, if you like, just read the stories and ignore the patronizing editorial comments. Many of these stories (in my opinion the best) are of Compair Lapin (the rabbit hero of Caribbean and Creole folktales – in some ways similar to the Medieval French tales of Renard the Fox, but in some, very different). There is extensive African influence in these folktales, sometimes leavened with French fairy tales themes, some of which may be familiar to you. Tellingly, even though these tales developed in the New World, for the most part, the animals are African – hyena, vulture, elephant, monkeys, et al – and often the magical systems are closer to voodoo than to what you would read in a European fairy tale. While collecting these stories, the author was apparently unaware that many of the Compair Lapin tales were originally coded resistance to the slave system, and was puzzled that the older black creoles were uncomfortable telling them to a white man who was writing them down – I wonder why? In addition to these stories, this book also includes a selection of locally modified fairy tales, a list of creole proverbs, a list of local superstitions, and a chapter on the evolution of the creole dialect (You can tell that linguistic analysis is the author’s first love). The first section of this collection has facing pages in Creole French dialect and English; later, for some reason, this switches to a chapter in dialect followed by a translation of the previous chapter. Near the end of the book, the author presents blocks of untranslated dialect (mostly traditional songs). 3.5 stars.

[Sarah Dunmire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this at the Laura Plantation outside of New Orleans. The stories themselves were fun to read, if not violent or disturbing at times. These are the B’rer Rabbit origins. However, the collector of these, Alcée Fortier, is the worst. Infuriatingly demeaning, racist, and derogatory to the people whom he collected the stories from for his own benefit. I would suggest not reading any of his pre and post material and simply read the stories.