European Assimilation and African American Folktale
As African slaves were stripped of their culture and forced from their homelands, European ideals, standards, and culture were enforced upon them. Oral folktales and storytelling were one of the means with which these African slaves sought to preserve their new culture within their new and unfamiliar conditions and settings (Roberts, 2009). This readily relates to the concept of “tabula rasa," which mainly refers to the way in which the Europeans viewed the African slaves as having a blank slate for which the Europeans assumed the responsibility of indoctrinating them with European culture by stripping them of their own heritage (Roberts, 2009, p.115). African slaves went through a cultural transformation in which the slaves sought to preserve as much of their culture as they could(Roberts, 2009). However, many times this was solely done through folklore and the transmission of oral traditions (Roberts, 2009). Folktales are essential and integral to African American culture because they provided a means of normality and safeness for slaves. The language of the African slaves, as well as their religious beliefs were completely stripped from them, therefore in many ways the passing on of oral traditions through stories was a method for survival within these extremely harsh and dehumanizing conditions. The significance of these folktales to African American culture continues to resonate within the present.
Folk Tales of the Slave Quarters
In order to survive the harsh dictates of slavery, slaves utilized folktales within their slave quarters (Garner, 1984). Through the oral sharing of folk tales slaves were able to communicate with one another and define their systems of beliefs and ways of life (Garner, 1984). These folktales represent the thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs shared by the overall group of slaves (Garner, 1984). It is quite evident that the sharing of folktales has been a method of survival for slaves that has been traditionally and orally passed down throughout generations.
The journal article, Black Ethos in Folktales, effectively specifies paradigms centered on courtship, marriage, and desired character traits of both black men and black women who were slaves. The journal specifically focuses on tales of “Folklore of the Sea Islands, South Carolina” (Garner, 1984, p. 54). These stories are told by ex-slaves and sons and daughters of slaves (Garner, 1984). There are variations in the regional telling of these tales for example; there are variations within tales told by slaves from deep southern states such as Florida and Alabama (Garner, 1984). This is due to the fact that each region has its own unique characteristics and ways of life. However, these stories are used in this research to provide examples for understanding how folklore expresses the attitudes and beliefs of slaves during this time in the United States.
One way in which folktales served to both develop and preserve beliefs was in respect to courtship, which is readily brought about in the journal article, Black Ethos in Folktales, as mentioned above. During slavery, a slave’s master was in charge of mating slaves together (Garner, 1984). The slaves were given no choice in the matter. Though slaves were not given a choice, they developed specific codes and traits that were desirable within a future mate (Garner, 1984). These tales focused largely on the character of the mate more than anything else (Garner, 1984). The tales did not place much emphasis on beauty or outward qualities which is very telling of the morals and viewpoints of their slave culture. For example, the journal article highlights a folktale entitled “The Devil’s Daughter” (Garner, 1984, p. 55). In this tale, the “devil” gives a man named Jack the difficult task of “planting and growing rice in one day” (Garner, 1984, p. 55). The devil’s daughter helps Jack to accomplish this difficult task, resulting in Jack winning the devil’s daughter’s hand in marriage (Garner, 1984). In this folktale, which also remains a common theme in many other folktales, the male who is seeking to win the daughter over in marriage is given a challenging, seemingly impossible task to complete (Garner, 1984). The male’s character is revealed through this task which is demonstrated by his ability to accomplish it or not. This teaches women to desire “prudent men” that are also very witty (Garner, 1984, p. 56-57). These character traits were particularly important when dealing with the slave masters (Garner, 1984). They were important for women looking for male suitors because in the harsh conditions that slaves were living in, it would help alleviate the life of the woman and somewhat better her life if her future husband knew how to deal wisely with their slave master (Garner, 1984). Another trait that these narratives emphasized for women to look for in male suitors was strength (Garner, 1984). Slaves were given extremely burdensome and heavy manual labor for long hours during the day. Hence for a woman, having a strong male suitor would make the horrendous tasks given more bearable for her (Garner, 1984). Referring back to the folktale, “The Devil’s Daughter," in which the woman helped the male in completing the difficult task assigned to him, likewise women were taught through these folktales the value of being helpful to the man (Garner, 1984). This would make life more bearable for the man as well. This is especially true with the laborious tasks they were expected to complete each day. Ultimately, folktales such as these taught men and women the value of making life more bearable for one another under the hash and torturous conditions they lived under. These ideas were formulated, passed on, and ingrained into the lifestyles and beliefs of these African slaves within America towards courtship and marriage. However, folktales such as these also reveal the shaping of the worldview of slaves as they defined their own character and came to an understanding of themselves and their position in society compared to the others that they adapted to in order to withstand the difficult lifestyle and trials of slavery (Garner, 1984). This idea of tough-mindedness revealed within folktales shared among slave quarters still pervades throughout United States history as a formation for African American culture and ingrained beliefs within present day culture (Garner, 1984).
As African slaves were stripped of their culture and forced from their homelands, European ideals, standards, and culture were enforced upon them. Oral folktales and storytelling were one of the means with which these African slaves sought to preserve their new culture within their new and unfamiliar conditions and settings (Roberts, 2009). This readily relates to the concept of “tabula rasa," which mainly refers to the way in which the Europeans viewed the African slaves as having a blank slate for which the Europeans assumed the responsibility of indoctrinating them with European culture by stripping them of their own heritage (Roberts, 2009, p.115). African slaves went through a cultural transformation in which the slaves sought to preserve as much of their culture as they could(Roberts, 2009). However, many times this was solely done through folklore and the transmission of oral traditions (Roberts, 2009). Folktales are essential and integral to African American culture because they provided a means of normality and safeness for slaves. The language of the African slaves, as well as their religious beliefs were completely stripped from them, therefore in many ways the passing on of oral traditions through stories was a method for survival within these extremely harsh and dehumanizing conditions. The significance of these folktales to African American culture continues to resonate within the present.
Folk Tales of the Slave Quarters
In order to survive the harsh dictates of slavery, slaves utilized folktales within their slave quarters (Garner, 1984). Through the oral sharing of folk tales slaves were able to communicate with one another and define their systems of beliefs and ways of life (Garner, 1984). These folktales represent the thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs shared by the overall group of slaves (Garner, 1984). It is quite evident that the sharing of folktales has been a method of survival for slaves that has been traditionally and orally passed down throughout generations.
The journal article, Black Ethos in Folktales, effectively specifies paradigms centered on courtship, marriage, and desired character traits of both black men and black women who were slaves. The journal specifically focuses on tales of “Folklore of the Sea Islands, South Carolina” (Garner, 1984, p. 54). These stories are told by ex-slaves and sons and daughters of slaves (Garner, 1984). There are variations in the regional telling of these tales for example; there are variations within tales told by slaves from deep southern states such as Florida and Alabama (Garner, 1984). This is due to the fact that each region has its own unique characteristics and ways of life. However, these stories are used in this research to provide examples for understanding how folklore expresses the attitudes and beliefs of slaves during this time in the United States.
One way in which folktales served to both develop and preserve beliefs was in respect to courtship, which is readily brought about in the journal article, Black Ethos in Folktales, as mentioned above. During slavery, a slave’s master was in charge of mating slaves together (Garner, 1984). The slaves were given no choice in the matter. Though slaves were not given a choice, they developed specific codes and traits that were desirable within a future mate (Garner, 1984). These tales focused largely on the character of the mate more than anything else (Garner, 1984). The tales did not place much emphasis on beauty or outward qualities which is very telling of the morals and viewpoints of their slave culture. For example, the journal article highlights a folktale entitled “The Devil’s Daughter” (Garner, 1984, p. 55). In this tale, the “devil” gives a man named Jack the difficult task of “planting and growing rice in one day” (Garner, 1984, p. 55). The devil’s daughter helps Jack to accomplish this difficult task, resulting in Jack winning the devil’s daughter’s hand in marriage (Garner, 1984). In this folktale, which also remains a common theme in many other folktales, the male who is seeking to win the daughter over in marriage is given a challenging, seemingly impossible task to complete (Garner, 1984). The male’s character is revealed through this task which is demonstrated by his ability to accomplish it or not. This teaches women to desire “prudent men” that are also very witty (Garner, 1984, p. 56-57). These character traits were particularly important when dealing with the slave masters (Garner, 1984). They were important for women looking for male suitors because in the harsh conditions that slaves were living in, it would help alleviate the life of the woman and somewhat better her life if her future husband knew how to deal wisely with their slave master (Garner, 1984). Another trait that these narratives emphasized for women to look for in male suitors was strength (Garner, 1984). Slaves were given extremely burdensome and heavy manual labor for long hours during the day. Hence for a woman, having a strong male suitor would make the horrendous tasks given more bearable for her (Garner, 1984). Referring back to the folktale, “The Devil’s Daughter," in which the woman helped the male in completing the difficult task assigned to him, likewise women were taught through these folktales the value of being helpful to the man (Garner, 1984). This would make life more bearable for the man as well. This is especially true with the laborious tasks they were expected to complete each day. Ultimately, folktales such as these taught men and women the value of making life more bearable for one another under the hash and torturous conditions they lived under. These ideas were formulated, passed on, and ingrained into the lifestyles and beliefs of these African slaves within America towards courtship and marriage. However, folktales such as these also reveal the shaping of the worldview of slaves as they defined their own character and came to an understanding of themselves and their position in society compared to the others that they adapted to in order to withstand the difficult lifestyle and trials of slavery (Garner, 1984). This idea of tough-mindedness revealed within folktales shared among slave quarters still pervades throughout United States history as a formation for African American culture and ingrained beliefs within present day culture (Garner, 1984).
Watch This Video To See a Live Story Telling of the African American Folktale "The People Could Fly"