When roots die: endangered traditions on the Sea Islands

Jones-Jackson, Patricia

Book

When roots die: endangered traditions on the Sea Islands

University of Georgia Press • Athens • Published In 1987 • Pages:

By: Jones-Jackson, Patricia.

Abstract
This work is an important contribution to linguistics and folklore, and is one of the first book length treatments of the Sea Islanders language and culture. Its sound scholarship and clear and engaging style provide a wealth of information for both professional interest and lay readers. The work is divided into four major chapters. Chapter 1 provides a survey of the area and its people, with data on geography, demography, and economic and social history. Chapters 2 and 3 make up the largest portion of this book. Chapter 2 provides information on the settings in which folktales are told, the techniques employed in story-telling, and biographical sketches on some of the prominent storytellers. Chapter 3 consists of Sea Islanders prayers and tales, with comparisons made to some of their African counterparts. The final chapter, Chapter 4, is strongly oriented to the linguistic features of the Sea Islanders speech, again with comparative data provided on African parallels. Four appendices conclude this work providing information on fishing, a text of a Brer (Buh) Rabbit tale, a phonetic text concerning the soul and spirit, and the land question in contemporary society.

Literature

Literary texts

Location

Topography and geology

Climate

Acculturation and culture contact

Life history materials

Linguistic identification