In every culture people tell stories that are passed down from one generation to another. Oral tradition is one way to keep the values of a culture alive. These stories are based on real events that convey information about human behavior. They are used to teach lessons, give information, or to entertain. Although the stories are made up, there is some element of truth in them. Sometimes, the history of a people can be told through songs, rhythms, dance, and performance. Caribbean folklore is kept alive through traditional song and dance that combines the languages of the European colonizers and Africa.
Each island uses its own unique creole language which is a blend of French, English, Spanish and Dutch with a sprinkling of African words. The folktale,
Palampam Day
by David and Phillis Gershator, is an example of such a blend. The author’s note in the back (which I think is impressive) explains the meaning of some of the words.
African descendants are familiar with Anansi stories whose main character is a trickster spider who tries to outsmart everyone he encounters. It is believed that these stories originated among the Ashanti people of Ghana, West Africa. Every tribe in Ghana has its own version of Ananse story in which the names of Anansi, his wife, and children as well as other characters have different names but the moral remains the same. I have changed the spelling of the spider’s name to match what I noticed in the African publications. The spider is known as Brer Anancy in the United States; Bro’ Anansi, Bra’ Nancy or Anansi in the Caribbean and the spelling and pronunciation vary according to location.
The book,
African-American Folktales for
Young Readers
, is a collection of stories from the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean. Louise Bennett-Coverly, a well-known Jamaican folklorist, is recorded in this anthology retelling Anansi stories reflecting the Jamaican tradition. Students are already familiar with Anansi stories as they are told from a West African perspective. In this segment of the lesson, students will identify changes that occur as oral traditions are passed down through generations of different people. The class will use this as an opportunity to view once again the video recording of
Stories from the Black Tradition:
A Story- A Story
(See bibliography).
I will then read the Jamaican version of the story- “Bra Tookoma and the Gum Tree” () which is basically the same story that teaches a lesson on not being greedy. Students will determine how the story has changed as it was transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean.
The Legendary Kweku Anansi Stories
, written by Greg Clifford, Ananse’s eldest son and rival is called Ntikuma. The Transatlantic Voyage resulted in the name being changed to Tookoma. In the Jamaican tradition, Tookoma, sometimes called Tacooma, is also Anancy’s son and rival. Two other recurring characters in Jamaica’s version are Anancy’s wife, Crooky, and Asunu the elephant.
The above named website has a collection of Caribbean folktales. Most, if not all of these folktales, have been translated from the dialect spoken on the particular island to Standard English for all to understand. I will read a portion of an original folktale written in the Jamaican dialect so that students will have an idea of the authentic sound. I must hasten to state that the Jamaican dialect is more a spoken language than it is a written language. Before reading for the class, I would have practice reading the selection several times for the purpose of obtaining fluency; I have not done this since my elementary school years of participating in Festival competitions. It is expected that a few students will be able to translate the segment into Standard English since many are of Caribbean heritage or have associated with people from the Caribbean. For other students, this experience will be absolutely foreign.
Another book from which students may learn more about Caribbean culture through storytelling is,
Doctor Bird: Three Lookin’ Up Tales from Jamaica
(see bibliography). These stories from the parish of St. Mary, found on the north coast of Jamaica, mention some unfamiliar articles such as cho-cho and cerassee vine. I will introduce a few of these articles by bringing samples to the class and explaining their uses. Cho-cho is a green colored squash. Cerassee, used to make tea, grows like a runner on the ground or on fences. Yam, described in African or Caribbean setting, is a brown root tuber and is a carbohydrate. To continue with the lesson, the class will be divided into groups of three or four. Each group will be asked to read aloud and discuss the moral of one story then summarize it for the class.
To gain a further understanding of the Spanish culture in the Caribbean, we will explore the Puerto Rican folktale of
Lazy Peter and His Three-Cornered Hat
(McDougal Littell, p.842). Lazy Peter is a trickster who fools others. He may be compared with the West African spider, Anansi, the U.S. Brer Rabbit or the Native American, Coyote and Raven. As students read the story, they will discuss themes and connections that cross cultures. They will read to find out how Lazy Peter tricks the farmer. They will also identify the conflict and discuss the idea of whether justice was served. The Artistic Director of the school, who is also a professional storyteller, will tell the same story of
Lazy Peter…
as she shares her craft of storytelling with us. Students will then determine which is better, reading the story or telling the story?
Teachers might even want to explore
Names/Nombres: A Personal Essay by
Julia Alvarez
(McDougal Littell, 2001, The Language of Literature: Grade 7 textbook, p.37). This essay describes the life of a New Yorker who spent ten years in her parents’ homeland, the Dominican Republic. Information about the Spanish tradition and how immigrants assimilate in the United States can be gleaned from this selection. Students may learn more about Caribbean immigrants in the United States by exploring
If I Could
Write This in Fire: An Anthology of Literature from the Caribbean (see Teacher Bibliography). As a class we will read and discuss
Passing
by Michele Cliff from Jamaica.
Passing
describes how a Jamaican woman, with white features and a black grandfather, lives as a white woman in the United States. I chose this selection with the hope that students will gain a better understanding of the idea that many Caribbean people are of mixed race mainly European, African, and Indian. There are also Chinese, Jews, Syrians, and East Indians in the region. Another book from which students may explore to find out more about island life is,
A Small Place
written by Jamaica Kincaid. Much can be learned about the island of Antigua by reading this book.
A Thief in the
Village and Other Short Stories of
Jamaica
by James Berry is also recommended.
The Diary of Latoya Hunter: My First Year in Junior High
tells about a Jamaican girl attending middle school in New York. These and additional books mentioned in the bibliography may be used as models when students create their stories.