African American Folktales

by Roger D. Abrahams (Editor/Introduction)

From the canefileds of the ante-bellum South, the villages of the Caribbean islands, and the streets of contemporary inner cities, here are more than one hundred tales from an "incredibly rich and affirmative storytelling tradition" (Choice).

Full of life, wisdom, and humor, these tales range from the earthy comedy of tricksters to stories explaining how the world was created and got to be the way it is, to moral fables that tell of encounters between masters and slaves. They includes stories set down in travelers' reports and plantation journals from the early nineteenth century, tales gathered by collectors such as Joel Chandler Harris and Zora Neale Hurston, and narratives tape-recorded by Roger Abrahams himself during extensive expeditions throughout the American South and the Caribbean.

Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folkore Library

Genres: Folklore, Mythology, Fiction, Folk Tales, Short Stories, Africa, Anthologies

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Lekeisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Malvika · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Doria · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Meeja · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lulu]

http://www.whittedq.weebly.com/upload...

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

J'ai lu plusieurs contes, mais j'ai arrêté de m'y intéressé. J'ai compris le concept et je me suis tannée.

[Miss Abstrakcja · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5⭐
Same baśnie super, acz język, którym są spisane, jest mało przystępny. Zastanawiam się czy to wina autora czy polskiego tłumaczenia.

[CB · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very charming collection! Nice for an easy read before bed :)

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Shila Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of stories. Great for children. It was nice to read one a day.

[amandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting!