Jamaican Song and Story: Annancy Stories, Digging Sings, Ring Tunes, and Dancing Tunes

by Walter Jekyll, Philip Manderson Sherlock (Introduction), Alice Werner (Introduction)

The trickster hero is a familiar character in folklore, and Jamaica's national folk hero is Annancy, an animal trickster noted for his unmitigated greed, treachery, and cruelty. A magic spider with a speech defect, Annancy is the perfect picaresque he is sneaky, lazy, dishonest, and totally without remorse--yet his geniality endears him to friend and foe alike.
Annancy stories are an enduringly popular part of Jamaica’s cultural heritage, where the spider’s knavery finds expression in dance, theatre, and other creative arts. This delightful, compilation features some of the best-known, most-loved Annancy stories--faithfully reproduced, exactly as told to author Walter Jekyll by islanders. In addition to these tales, drawn largely from African sources but occasionally mixed with European strands and local innovations, the book contains digging sings (work songs used to liven up field labor), ring tunes (informal dances), and dancing tunes (mainly the Valse, Polka, Schottische, and Quadrilles).
The author’s notes explain the dialect, and an extensive introduction discusses African folklore and its connections with Jamaican stories. Brief appendices note African and European musical influences on Jamaican tunes, and three essays appraise the importance of Annancy stories and the significance of this collection. The finest source of Annancy stories and other Jamaican folk tales and songs, this volume is an invaluable resource for anthropologists and a treat for anyone interested in Jamaican cultural history.

Genres: Mythology, Anthropology, Music

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1904

Reviews

[bibi]

in a world increasingly dominated by the written word, this is at once a reminder to myself that the spoken word has a profundity that cannot be ignored. as a jamaican, the rhythm and liveliness of the narratives and tunes are integral to the preservation of our culture and communities. every story in this collection showcases the resilience of jamaican heritage and the way the enduring legacy of language transcends generations. be it dances, folk songs, folk tales its all interwoven into a rich and storied tapestry of oral tradition that i will always cherish having been raised by camp light and candlelight on these.

[Faloni ©]

🌴🌞 🎉🎉💗💕 Thank you girl! That's really sweet of you. 👶🏼 💘💕👧🏽