Drums and Shadows: Survival Studies Amongst the Coastal Georgia Negroes

This collection of oral folklore from coastal Georgia was assembled during the 1930s as part of a WPA writers' program, and were gathered principally from elderly African Americans, some of them well over 100 years old. Most had been slaves, and in some cases, they had known first generation slaves who had been born in Africa. It primarily revolves around magical beliefs and practices (known as Hoodoo), such as root doctors, ghosts and spirits, talismans, lucky and unlucky acts omens and more. The interviewer also investigates the use of drums and dancing, funeral and baptism rituals, food taboos, and other aspects of early southern Black culture, and dispels any doubt that these beliefs are rooted in African hertiage, with comprehensive cross references and an appendix of quotes from African ethnographers, folklorists and explorers. Do not be offended by the use of phonetic dialect spelling; this is not to ridicule the speakers, rather, this book is scrupulously non-judgmental. It may take a little bit of attention to decipher the vernacular, but after a few pages, the strong and humor filled voices of the ancestors come to life.