Book

Folk culture on St. Helena Island, South Carolina

University of North Carolina Press • Chapel Hill, N.C. • Published In 1930 • Pages:

By: Johnson, Guy Benton.

Abstract

This document is divided into three parts dealing with the dialect, folk songs, and folklore of the Sea Islanders of St. Helena Island, South Carolina. Part I, dealing with the Gullah dialect, provides information on the cultural background of this unique language, including data on phonology, grammar and vocabulary. The effects of African influence on the dialect is also discussed. In part II the author describes the 1930 status of folk songs on St. Helena Island, with particular emphasis on the African American spiritual and its derivation. Here the author digresses at some length to show the relationship of African American music to English and American folk music. The final section of this work, part III, sketches briefly the folklore of the island, with several illustrative text examples to give concreteness to the discussion. This section also contains information on riddles, proverbs, toasts, rhymes, and games.

HRAF PubDate

2000

Region

North America

Sub Region

Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Social Scientist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

John Beierle ; 1990-1991

Field Date

no date

Coverage Date

1867-1930

Coverage Place

St. Helena Island, South Carolina, United States

Notes

by Guy B. Johnson

Gullah: the dialect of the negroes of St. Helena Island.--Folk songs of St. Helena.--Folklore from St. Helena Island

Includes bibliography

The work is based on Johnson's fieldwork and also texts compiled and published by other authors. While Johnson did his fieldwork on St. Helena Island, the texts he uses have a broader scope and include material from other sea islands (e.g., Edsito Island) and the mainland, and the antebellum and post-Civil War periods.

LCCN

30032135

LCSH

Sea Islands/Gullahs