More than Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit, Gullah
folklore claims a rich cultural heritage, yet few beyond the Carolina coast
know much about it. However, it is growing in both popularity and interest, as
attested by recent scholarly and entertaining examinations of the dialect and
stories.
The author, Ambrose E. Gonzales, realized Gullah's unique appeal some
seventy-odd years ago. This Gullah dialect is interesting, not merely for
its richness, which falls upon the ear as opulently as the Irish brogue,
he wrote, but also for the quaint and homely similes in which it abounds
and for the native wit and philosophy of its users.
Gonzales collected many Gullah stories with such captivating titles as
The 'Wiles That in the Women Are, ' Mingo the Drill
Master, and Conductor Smith's Dilemma. A handy Gullah
glossary is included as well, to aid the reader in interpreting the dialect.
Today, Gullah is alive and well. Virginia Mixson Geraty, the world's
foremost authority on Gullah and Gullah instructor at the College of
Charleston, is the author of Gullah Night Before Christmas and narrator of the companion audiocassette. Both are
published by Pelican.
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