A Treasury of Georgia Folklore

by Ronald, G Killion, Charles T. Waller

Anyone reared in rural or small-town Georgia before World War II will remember much of this material. The reader who is unfamiliar with the rural South, or too young to have experienced the joys of a pre-1940 Georgia youth, will find this book to be a collection of the oral traditions which have almost disappeared. Georgia's rapid development into an industrialized society has made this publication of the folklore papers collected by the Georgia Writers' Project 1936-1940 all the more important.

Genres: Folklore

284 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[EJ Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This neat little collection of Georgia folklore provides a fascinating, if pithy, look into the traditional stories, songs, beliefs, and superstitions which once defined rural Georgia culture. While lacking substantive secondary research or contextualization, this collection is nevertheless extremely useful and entertaining for having gathered in one place such a disparate number of sources.

Culled from interviews of local blacks and whites under the auspices of the Federal Writers' Project, A Treasury covers topics ranging from folk stories about Georgia's founding to ghost stories, appropriated Indian legends, superstitions, hunting advice, aphorisms, unique animal names, cures for hexes, children's games, songs, spirituals, and a host of other topics. While sometimes generic, these stories and tidbits are nevertheless very entertaining and provide a fleeting glimpse into the folk traditions of past generations.

These glimpses, however, are not quite as informative as one might like. This edition features no secondary research or context for the stories, and while an unadorned presentation adds a certain verisimilitude, it detracts from the scholarly applications of the work. Readers should also be warned that stories actually constitute a relatively small portion of this collection; most of A Treasury consists of two or three sentence blurbs or lists dealing with magic spells, folk beliefs, aphorisms, and animal facts.

Regardless, A Treasury of Georgia Folklore remains a true treasure for those interested in the old stories, tall tales, and folksy wisdom which has largely disappeared from Georgia. I would recommend this book for Georgia "old timers" interested in a nostalgic view of this state's culture and traditions; students of folklore and anthropology will likely find the work of insufficient weight for academic use.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok.
Mildly recommended.