Blue Roots
African-American Folk Magic of the Gullah People
Orangeburg, S.C. : Sandlapper Pub. Co., [2003]
Format: Book
Edition: Second edition.
Description: 148 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
On the coast of South Carolina, descendants of former slaves still live in communities that retain the language & beliefs of the slave days. Folklorists & linguists identify them as "Gullah." Prominent among Gullah culture is the belief in herbalism, spiritualism & black magic. Known elsewhere as "voodoo" or "santia," the Gullah call their brand of magic "the root."Raised in the heart of Gullah country, author Roger Pinckney provides an inside look at the history, practices & people that make up this colorful American subculture. Meet Drs. Bug, Fly, Crow & the infamous Dr. Buzzard, professional root doctors who can administer a root (or charm) to bring you money, help you find love, or cure what ails you. You may even want to hire them to give your enemy the 'evil eye." This book is a fast-reading conversational narrative full of haunts, hags, spells & hexes, the dreaded spirit called the Plateye, & the tales of root doctors themselves.
Contents:
An introduction -- Out of Africa -- God's people in Babylon -- The power of the root -- A familiarity with spirits -- Remedies, cures, bad luck and good -- A tale of two doctors -- Why it works -- A village of believers -- Afterword: searching for Dr. Buzzard.
Subjects:
Gullahs -- Folklore.
African American magic -- South Carolina -- Saint Helena Island.
Vodou -- South Carolina -- Saint Helena Island.
Folklore -- South Carolina -- Saint Helena Island.
Magie.
Wodu.
African American magic.
Folklore.
Vodou.
Schwarze.
South Carolina.
South Carolina -- Saint Helena Island.
Gullahs -- Folklore.
African American magic -- South Carolina -- Saint Helena Island.
Vodou -- South Carolina -- Saint Helena Island.
Folklore -- South Carolina -- Saint Helena Island.
Magie.
Wodu.
African American magic.
Folklore.
Vodou.
Schwarze.
South Carolina.
South Carolina -- Saint Helena Island.
ISBN:
0878441689
Availability | |||
---|---|---|---|
Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
HISTORY North Am. US SC Pin | Main (Downtown) | Third Level, Nonfiction | In |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 142-143) and index.