What do you think?
Rate this book
Baśnie afroamerykańskie
Zbiór zawiera ponad sto historii, opowiadanych na trzcinowych polach przedsecesyjnego Południa, w wioskach na karaibskich wysepkach i na ulicach współczesnych gett, wywodzących się z niezwykle bogatej tradycji gawędziarskiej.
Wśród opowieści, pełnych życia, mądrości i humoru, znaleźć można przyziemnie komiczne historie spryciarzy, podania o powstaniu świata, wyjaśniające dlaczego jest on tak, a nie inaczej urządzony oraz opowiastki z morałem przedstawiające zmagania niewolników i panów. Pochodzą one z ogromnego obszaru, na którym istniały plantacje, od Południowego Wybrzeża i Ameryki Środkowej po Karaiby i południe Stanów Zjednoczonych.
Misterne, często przerysowane opowieści snute były przede wszystkim dla zabawy, zawierają jednak ziarno prawdy o tym, jak radzić sobie w świecie białych ludzi. W zajmujący sposób pokazują, jak wysiedlony lud, czerpiąc z tradycji dawno minionych czasów, ułożył sobie życie i stworzył nową, trwałą kulturę w Nowym Świecie.
Zebrane w książce opowieści pochodzą z wielu części Nowego Świata, gdzie w czasach, kiedy siłą roboczą na plantacjach byli czarni niewolnicy, lub po ich emancypacji w XIX w. powstała społeczność afroamerykańska.
Wśród opowieści, pełnych życia, mądrości i humoru, znaleźć można przyziemnie komiczne historie spryciarzy, podania o powstaniu świata, wyjaśniające dlaczego jest on tak, a nie inaczej urządzony oraz opowiastki z morałem przedstawiające zmagania niewolników i panów. Pochodzą one z ogromnego obszaru, na którym istniały plantacje, od Południowego Wybrzeża i Ameryki Środkowej po Karaiby i południe Stanów Zjednoczonych.
Misterne, często przerysowane opowieści snute były przede wszystkim dla zabawy, zawierają jednak ziarno prawdy o tym, jak radzić sobie w świecie białych ludzi. W zajmujący sposób pokazują, jak wysiedlony lud, czerpiąc z tradycji dawno minionych czasów, ułożył sobie życie i stworzył nową, trwałą kulturę w Nowym Świecie.
Zebrane w książce opowieści pochodzą z wielu części Nowego Świata, gdzie w czasach, kiedy siłą roboczą na plantacjach byli czarni niewolnicy, lub po ich emancypacji w XIX w. powstała społeczność afroamerykańska.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
42 people are currently reading
864 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 30, 2022
Some new to me, but I have read quite a few variations of most of the stories in this collection. Still, a nice book to have if you enjoy African American/ Afro American/ Caribbean folktales.
July 20, 2019
A collection of folktales, from the West Indies as well as the United States.
A lot of beast tales, including some recognizable variants on fairy tale types-- some fairy tales, not too many. Heavy on trickster tales. Some distinctly bawdy.
A lot of beast tales, including some recognizable variants on fairy tale types-- some fairy tales, not too many. Heavy on trickster tales. Some distinctly bawdy.
July 21, 2019
I actually enjoyed the stories, not enough to go wow, but I did end up chuckling every now and then. I especially loved the authors short note at the beginning of each section. I also love their portrayal of both the God and the Trickster, and the idea of how God becomes the God of only the white men. It sort of throws light upon the prevalant racism. I feel like the tales themselves highlight the marginalisation and the poor treatment of the blacks in the post war America. And then that one story where the old master tells his slave that it is not fire but evaporated something(?), that chapter reminded me of Beloved(by Morrison).
I also felt that a couple of stories were somewhat similar to the fables(Aesops to be precise) I have read and I think the author mentioned that the stories themselves borrow heavily from the European folklores. There aren't any striking references to the folktales of Africa, minus Anansi perhaps? Certain ideas do find their way into the tales but I still feel that it is more americanized.
If I don't make sense then I am terribly sorry. It is pretty late here and I am actually quite sleepy. But yeah. The book, I'd definitely recommend it. Although I would definitely suggest reading other folklores as well.
I also felt that a couple of stories were somewhat similar to the fables(Aesops to be precise) I have read and I think the author mentioned that the stories themselves borrow heavily from the European folklores. There aren't any striking references to the folktales of Africa, minus Anansi perhaps? Certain ideas do find their way into the tales but I still feel that it is more americanized.
If I don't make sense then I am terribly sorry. It is pretty late here and I am actually quite sleepy. But yeah. The book, I'd definitely recommend it. Although I would definitely suggest reading other folklores as well.
October 11, 2017
This is a wonderful and diverse collection of folktales drawn from throughout the African diaspora. Despite being the work of a professional ethnologist-folklorist (i.e., the Aarne-Thompson category numbers are included in the annotation), the stories are presented clearly and unadorned with unnecessary scholarly adumbration. The tales shine on their own, accompanied only by their points of origin (Mississippi, Jamaica, etc) and also by exquisite yet simple illustrations. This is story-collecting at its best, equally as entertaining as it is historically and culturally significant. For folklorists and Storytellers, educators and read-aloud devotees, it is pure gold.
August 18, 2021
A valuable collection of cultural stories. I especially appreciate including the countries of origin and the acknowledgment of the difficulty of documenting these stories and their history.
June 5, 2023
J'ai lu plusieurs contes, mais j'ai arrêté de m'y intéressé. J'ai compris le concept et je me suis tannée.
April 9, 2024
2,5⭐
Same baśnie super, acz język, którym są spisane, jest mało przystępny. Zastanawiam się czy to wina autora czy polskiego tłumaczenia.
Same baśnie super, acz język, którym są spisane, jest mało przystępny. Zastanawiam się czy to wina autora czy polskiego tłumaczenia.
May 15, 2024
A very charming collection! Nice for an easy read before bed :)
May 2, 2016
I came across this while browsing at a secondhand bookstore. As I seem to be on folklore kick lately (having read the Pink and Blue Fairy Books by Andrew Lang), l couldn't pass it up.
A wonderful collection of ethnographic interest. Certainly the tales are often funny or amusing, but that is to do them injustice. As noted in the compelling introduction by the compiler, the tales are the product of the African-American slave experience, superimposed onto the ancient sub-Saharan oral and cultural traditions--the only possessions left to the slaves. They are at times defiant, at others cautionary; sometimes merely vulgar, sometimes wise.
Just as African-Americans today usually have some degree of white ancestry, so do these tales. So it's interesting to compare these to some of the European tales. One of the tales, "Black Jack and White Jack", shares a nearly identical plot with a story in one of the Lang "Fairy Books." But, notably, these tales don't have the "happily ever after" conclusion common to the European tales (even some of the Grimms'); even after a successful gambit or contest, nothing is truly won. What seems to matter is the means, not the ends: the trickster's tricks, the battle of wits, the fooling of ol' Massa.
Certainly there is much more here than meets the eye, so be sure to read the Abraham's Preface and Introduction for a more serious academic analysis.
A wonderful collection of ethnographic interest. Certainly the tales are often funny or amusing, but that is to do them injustice. As noted in the compelling introduction by the compiler, the tales are the product of the African-American slave experience, superimposed onto the ancient sub-Saharan oral and cultural traditions--the only possessions left to the slaves. They are at times defiant, at others cautionary; sometimes merely vulgar, sometimes wise.
Just as African-Americans today usually have some degree of white ancestry, so do these tales. So it's interesting to compare these to some of the European tales. One of the tales, "Black Jack and White Jack", shares a nearly identical plot with a story in one of the Lang "Fairy Books." But, notably, these tales don't have the "happily ever after" conclusion common to the European tales (even some of the Grimms'); even after a successful gambit or contest, nothing is truly won. What seems to matter is the means, not the ends: the trickster's tricks, the battle of wits, the fooling of ol' Massa.
Certainly there is much more here than meets the eye, so be sure to read the Abraham's Preface and Introduction for a more serious academic analysis.
October 26, 2013
Excellent collection of stories. Great for children. It was nice to read one a day.
August 23, 2015
Very interesting!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews