NOTES. (continued 2)
Reading edition
For the rescue, see Jekyll’s Bluebeard story, 35–37; Bleek, 61–64; Christensen, 10–14; and numbers 83 and 86.
Evidently the story has become fixed in Jamaica out of a number of different elements and does not depend upon a common source. The lesson to the over-fastidious girl, ridicule of her fear of the ordeal of marriage, and the old setting of the rescue by hunter-brothers, are drawn together into a coherent story. It is the song that makes the story popular.
86. The Girls who married the Devil. [Story]
The flight from a Devil husband has also taken on a fixed form in Jamaica in contrast to the number of variants related on Andros Island and the much more complex versions known in Africa. It is possible that this is true only for the localities visited.
The story has three parts. (1) A girl marries a handsome man against her little brother’s warning. (2) The man, who is usually the devil, carries her home, accompanied in secret by the brother, locks her up, and sets a cock to watch her. (3) An old woman befriends her, they feed the cock with various grains and finally escape over the river in the Devil’s magic boat, pursued by the Devil.
Jekyll, 148–151, The Devil and the Princess, has a version of this story.
Compare Zeltner, 85–90; Nassau, 68–76; Fortier, 68–75; Jones, 82–88; Chatelain, 99–101; Barker, 97–101; Jacottet, 160–166; Callaway, 78–85; Christensen, 10–14; Tremearne, FL 22: 346–348; Dayrell, 38–41; 98–103; Parsons, Andros Island, 49–54; Sea Islands, 45–49; JAFL 30: 181–183; JAFL 12: 126–130; and see references to numbers 83 and 85.
(1) In the Snake marriage, number 85, there is no rejected warning, but the hunter-brothers come to the rescue. In numbers 83 and 87, it is the despised little brother who effects the escape.
(2) In Jacottet, a girl is carried away to the land of the half-bodied people and guarded by horns that cry out. They are silenced by pouring in hot water and stuffing them with stones. In Barker, the dragon who carries away Anansi and his son sets a white cock to warn him if they try to escape. In Christensen, a fly guards the girl and Tiger comes running at its call. In Fortier and JAFL 12: 128, roosters guard the girl. In Callaway, an old woman warns the Pigeons when the girl escapes.
(3) The only version of the flight theme which I found developed in Jamaica is that of the evasion of the guardian cock by feeding him enough corn so that the girl can get across the river before the cock summons the husband.
In some flight stories, it is the pursuing monster himself who is silenced with the corn-throwing. In Nassau, the fleeing girl throws out three gourdfuls of seed which the Leopard stops to pick up. In Chatelain, the woman throws out calabashes of seed to the pursuing cannibal. Compare Renel 1: 38–40; 2: 262–263; Ferrand, 119–122.
The appearance of both the kindly maid-servant and the helpful brother in the Jamaica versions is irrelevant. The immense popularity of the theme of the despised little brother probably makes his appearance an inthrust. In Zeltner, Nassau and Jones, a friendly horse accompanies the bride. In JAFL 12: 126–130, a friendly ox belonging to the husband carries the bride. So also in Parsons, Andros Island, 51–52 ii, and in JAFL 30: 181, the friendly animal is taken from the husband’s fields.
In Zeltner and Jones, the horse warns its mistress; in Dayrell the old mother sends her home because the girl is kind to her; in Fortier, because she is sorry for her; in JAFL 12, the old wife sends her away because she is jealous. In Dayrell, 101, a skull to which she has been kind acts the part of helper.
In Zeltner, Nassau, Fortier, Jones and Parsons, Andros Island, 52–54 iii, iv, and Sea Islands, the flight develops into an obstacle race. In Parsons, 50–51, and Tremearne, the fugitives escape by transformation. In Callaway, the sea divides; in Fortier, the Crocodile carries the girl over and drowns her pursuer. Riddling questions are to be answered in JAFL 12; Parsons, Andros Island, 52 iii; Sea Islands, 46; JAFL 30; see Jekyll, 26–28. A secret door gives a Blue-beard turn to the versions of Jones, Fortier, and Parsons, Andros Island, 44–45, and Sea Islands, 47–49; see Jekyll, 35–37.
The Jamaica version is on the whole bare of incident. Interest centers in the imitative songs of swallowing, of running, and in the boat-call, to the exclusion of any further development of the flight theme.
87. Bull as Bridegroom. [Story]
The story of the beast-husband transformed by means of a song is very common in Jamaica. It occurs in Milne-Home, 42–45, and Jekyll, 73–77; 132–135.
Compare Junod, 246–253; Parsons, Andros Island, 39–43 and references in note 1.
In Parsons’s Andros Island variants, the transformed beast is the wife (compare number 84) and has the form of a bird, as in Jekyll’s two versions, one of which, 132–135, ends with the “Yonec” story. In all the versions I heard, and in Milne-Home, the wooer is a bull.
88. The Two Bulls. [Story]
See Jekyll’s version, 114–116, called “Timmolimmo,” a name which is also given to the bull of number 89 in some versions. In Theal, 56–66, a mysterious and beautiful woman who goes to the river only at night is named “Tangalimlibo.” Her enemies persuade her to go out by day and she is taken by the river, returns to suckle her child, and is at last ransomed by sacrificing an ox which seems to bear the same name as the woman.
In this challenge story, the bull has killed, not the mother, as in number 89, but her sons, and has unwittingly fathered his successful antagonist, who has been brought up in secret. The father’s secret name is evidently learned from the mother.
For the tossing trick, see number 69.
89. Ballinder Bull. [Story]
This is one of the best-known stories in Jamaica. See Milne-Home, 67–69, Garshan Bull; P. Smith, 55–58, Bull Garshananee. All follow about the same pattern, and the same may be said of other versions collected in Jamaica which are not set down here.
In a version given by Mrs. Elizabeth Hilton, the boy buys twelve buta (arrows) and a bottle of water and a bottle of rum. When he calls “Geshawnee,” the bull says, “Since I have been in this place, I never heard anyone call my name.” The boy stays up the tree into which he has climbed by the formula, “Bear up, me good tree, bear up! I have often seen me father fell a green tree and leave a dry one.”
In a Mandeville version by John Macfarlane, the boy’s name is “Simon Tootoos,” the bull’s “Garshanee.” The woman makes him a pudding and he takes six eggs each of hen, turkey and bird. He opens three gates with song, and the giant appears in the form of a bull. He climbs a cotton-wood tree. When the bull throws arrows at him he says, “I see me father take his little finger and catch longer arrows than those!” He catches twelve, with which he pelts the bull in return.
Neither of these versions ends with the false claim.
In another Mandeville version given by a lad, Clarence Tathum, the slayer of the mother is a giant named “Tako-rimo.” The son takes a yard of tobacco and a pone. With the tobacco, he bribes the watchman to give him information about the giant and an iron-crow-bar. He goes inside and sees a servant lousing the giant’s head. “Massa, der is someone calling you name,” says the servant. “Who would calling my name so uncommon?” answers the giant. The giant flings a sword, which the boy catches and himself flings the crowbar and kills the giant. The story goes on to tell how the boy is imprisoned by the brother, “Giant Despair,” and escapes exactly as in the tale of “Jack the Giant-Killer,” while the giant falls into a trench and is killed.
In Stephen Johnson’s version from Claremont, a huge animal by the name of “Grandezee” kills the mother but spares the child. To escape the beast, the boy climbs a tree and sings, “Bear up, me good tree, for I often see me father get down tall trees and ketch them up again!” He throws three pegs and pegs down Grandezee and takes out the golden tongue and teeth. The false claim follows.
In a version from Brownstown by Emanuel Johnson, “Geshawnee was a kind of witch t’ing live into de river.” He has seven heads. Sammy cuts seven lances, climbs a tree and calls his name. He says, ‘From day I’m born, never see a big man call me name, much more a little boy!’ He knocks his side and brings out axe-men, rain and cattle, which attack the tree in vain. Sammy sings, “Bear up, me good tree, bear up. I oftentimes see me father cow haul down a tree an’ me father say, ‘Bear up, me good tree, bear up,’ an’ that tree bear up.” Sammy kills the monster. The story of the false claim follows.
In Parsons’s fragment, 145–146, the name is Kramytadanta. The boy takes a bottle of water and a loaf and sings from the tree.
Seven episodes regularly belong to the story. (1) A bull (or monster) kills a woman whose new-born son is saved and brought up by a woman-friend or relative. (2) The boys at school mock at him because he has no father, and he learns the story of his parentage. (3) He takes certain objects for slaying the monster. (4) He sings a name-song as challenge. (5) He climbs a tree which resists attack. (6) He slays the beast by hurling missiles from the tree. (7) Anansi claims the deed.
Compare Zeltner’s stories of Soundita, 1–6, and Kama, 54–61; Renel 1:82–85; 117–118; Tremearne, 408–412; Lenz, 22; Fortier, 11–13; Harris, Friends, 86–89; Boas, Notes, JAFL 25:258.
(1) In the less sophisticated versions, the bull kicks the child from the “breeding” woman.
(2) See Burton’s Arabian Nights Tales (Burton Club, 1885) 1:231. The mocking incident is common in Maori tales.
(3) In Zeltner’s “Soundita” story, the contest with a witch turned buffalo is carried on with three magic eggs and three magic arrows. In Fortier, the boy fights the bull with flap-jacks. The arrows suggest the weapons used in the fight of Sir Percival with the Red Knight in the English romance version. See also number 79, 80, 82.
(4) By comparing this bull version with Harris, Friends, 86–89, and Fortier, 11–13, it is clear that the North American version contained the two episodes, that of exposing the bull husband by means of a song, as in number 87, and that of the challenge to conflict which completes number 89 in Jamaica. In Harris, the word used for the bull transformation is “Ballybaloo-bill,” which is very close to my “Ballinder bull.” The more common name in Jamaica is “Geshawnee,” as in P. Smith’s version and Johnson’s song. But in Johnson’s song, as in Harris, the boy is named Sammy and his small size emphasized. In the Harris-Fortier version, one episode is used to motivate the other. The first episode explains the rather mysterious use of the song in the Ballinder Bull story and in number 88, where the bull seems surprised that anyone knows enough to challenge him by name and where the knowledge itself seems bound up with his defeat. In Jekyll’s version of number 88, when the son challenges the father by name a cow calls, “Master, master, I hear some one calling your name.” The bull answers, “No, no, not a man can call my name!” At some stage in transmission a fatal name motive must have dropped out and a magic song taken its place.
This comparison with Harris and Fortier merely proves a relation with the Jamaica story. It by no means explains the original source of the American version, or its exact relation to the other bull stories collected; namely, numbers 84 and 88. Zeltner’s story of Soundita, 3–5, has perhaps more elements in common with the Harris-Fortier story than any other African parallel, and further analysis may decide whether the complex Senegambian story is in the direct line or merely has gathered episodes from a common source.
(5) and (6) See note to number 82 and Bolte u. Polívka, discussing Grimm 60, Two Brothers.
(7) The episode of the mock claim appears also in the next number and in 97.
90. Bird Arinto. [Story]
Jekyll, 54–57, Man-Crow, tells the same story. See also numbers 70 and 89.
The story occurs as an episode in Zeltner’s Kama, 54–61 and Tremearne’s How Auta Killed Dodo, 408–412.
For the golden tongue and teeth see numbers 90, 95, and Jekyll, 56; and compare Zeltner, 5.
91. Tiger softens his Voice. [Story]
Parkes heard his version on Cape Coast, Africa.
Jekyll, 108–113, Leah and Tiger, tells the story. In my number 17a, it is the mother who is hidden away. In Bahama versions, Parsons, 35–39, the plot turns upon the rescue of the lost girl through song rather than, as in Jamaica, upon the voice-changing trick by which she is stolen.
Compare Jacottet, 62–69, Tremearne, 401; FL 21: 492–493; Hollis, Masai, 153–155; Callaway, 142–144; Theal, 118–120; Renel 1: 247–249; Frazer, FLJ 7: 167–168; Harris, Nights, 251–252; 257–260; Parsons, Sea Islands, 50–52; Rattray 2: 14.
See Grimm 5, Wolf and Kids; Bolte u. Polívka 1: 37–42, and Grimm 12, Rapunzel; Bolte u. Polívka 1: 97–99.
92. and 93. Hidden Names; Anansi and Mr. Able. [Story]
These two numbers are closely related to number 69. The plot turns upon tricks to discover a hidden name. The only difference between them is that in one story it is possession of one or more girls’ names, in the next, that of a person whose name the girls alone know, upon which the plot depends. All the variants play upon the idea of concealing a listener to surprise the keeper of the secret (invariably girls) into betraying each other. See Jekyll, 11–13, where the king and queen kill themselves, as in number 93, when they hear the girls’ names sung.
Compare Barker, 45–49; Dayrell, 79–80; Dennett, 35–38; Parsons, Andros Island, 117.
In Dayrell, Tortoise gets the wives to call out the husband’s name in fright, and he is so ashamed when he hears it that he takes to the water.
In Barker, Anansi drops down bananas sweetened with honey to the girls and they call to each other in surprise.
94. The King’s Three Daughters. [Story]
This story may be a fragment of the hidden name series in which the song has lost the revelation of the name, and the introduction omits the trick to discover it. If so, it has become a fixed variant. P. Smith, 35–37, tells it much as in the present version.
The story has points of resemblance to the European tale of the boy who is admitted to the princess’s chamber in the form of a singing bird. See number 113 and compare Spanish-American forms, JAFL 25: 191–208; JAFL 27: 135–137.
95. The Dumb Child. [Story]
Parkes heard this story in Sierra Leone, Africa. In Jekyll, 84–85, Dummy, it is Pea-fowl whose song the child imitates, and the story follows that of the sweet-voiced bird of number 71.
It resembles the European task-theme which turns upon making some over-serious person laugh. See Grimm 7; Bolte u. Polívka 1: 59–67; and Grimm, 64; Bolte u. Polívka, 2: 39–44. See also Jataka Tales (Francis & Thomas, Cambridge, 1916), 363.
Its relation to the motive of getting a sight of the teeth is not clear. In Jones, 117–118, one of the tasks imposed by the king for the hand of his daughter is to bring him Alligator’s teeth. Rabbit plays to Alligator until he shuts his eyes and opens his mouth to laugh, then knocks out his teeth. For the golden teeth see note to number 90.
In a Maori story, White 2: 145–146, a chief sends women to detect an offender. They are to know him by a certain lost tooth. They identify him by singing and dancing until he laughs and exposes the cavity.
96. The Dumb Wife. [Story]
I take this story to be a modern adaptation of 95, invented in the Maroon section. Another Maroon gave me a similar version under a different name. The whole point lies in the constant repetition of the burial song.
98. The Boy fools Anansi. [Story]
Jekyll, 99, uses the same motive.
Compare Callaway, 19–21; Theal, 99; Renel 1: 109–110; Ferrand, 75; Rivière, 229; Chatelain, 191–195; Hollis, Nandi, 101–102; Jacottet, 260; Uncle Remus, Nights, 315–318.
99. The Water Cray fish. [Story]
In Jacottet, 166–174, Mosimoli has been killed by her step-mother for cooking and eating taboo food. When her step-sister comes to the water to fill her pitcher, Mosimoli comes out of the water, beats her and gives her muddy water to drink, singing, “My father and mother are the crocodile.” Compare 79, 80, of this collection and Parsons, Andros Island, 140. The story is a mere fragment, but belongs to the very great number of tales which turn upon a broken taboo driving a supernatural visitor back to its original abode. The success of the story doubtless depends upon the song interest.
100. Ali Baba and Kissem. [Story]
Versions of Ali Baba in Jamaica differ in no way from those with which we are familiar.
101. Bull-of-all-the-land. [Story]
Old Forbes gave me the only version of this story I heard in Jamaica. In Trowbridge, JAFL 9: 284–285, the song and the incident of the three drops of blood occur, but the king is “King Tonga” and there is no beast transformation. The husband is lost by letting a little dog kiss him, as in number 105 and in Parsons, Andros Island, 55, 59, not by his wife’s burning the skin as in this version.
For the song at night as a means of recognition see number 74.
See Grimm 88, The Singing Soaring Lark; Bolte u. Polívka 2: 229–273.
102. The Boiling Pot. [Story]
See Grimm 3, Our Lady’s Child; Bolte u. Polívka 1: 13–21.
103. The Twelve One-eyed Men. [Story]
See The Third Kalender’s Tale in Burton’s Arabian Nights’ Tales (Burton Club 1885), 1: 151–160.
104. Bird and Hunter. [Story]
Common as is this story in Africa, I heard only one version in Jamaica. See also numbers 82a and 103 and Grimm 60, Two Brothers, Bolte u. Polívka 1: 528–556.
Compare Junod, 276–292; Jacottet, 56; Basset, 2: 103–107; Rivière, 193; Dennett, 60–64; Chatelain, 89–97; Lenz, 15–17.
105. Jack and the Devil Errant. [Story]
The story is told by Monk Lewis, 301–307. See also numbers 101, 111, 112, 113, 119.
Compare Ferrand, Madagascar, 102–113; Parsons, Andros Island, 54–60 and note for references. See Boas, JAFL 25: 256, for the relation of the story to “John the Bear.”
See Grimm 113, The King’s Children, Bolte u. Polívka, 2: 516–527.
106. The Magic Hat and the Staff of Life. [Story]
Numbers 106–109 and 133–136 belong to the Little Peasant cycle of stories, Grimm 61, Bolte u. Polívka 2: 1–18.
This number contains three episodes. (1) Three men trick another into selling a cow cheap by pretending it is a goat. He avenges himself by selling them (2) a magic hat which he claims will pay the cost of what they buy, (3) a staff of life through which they are themselves destroyed.
The first episode occurs in Heetopades of Veeshnoo-Sarma, Wilkin’s translation (London, 1787), 261–262, 266. The second is episode D in Bolte u. Polívka’s analysis. The third is episode G in Bolte u. Polívka; see note to 109.
107. Uncle Green and Jack. [Story]
See Bolte u. Polívka 2: 1–18. The story is composed of three episodes. (1) A nephew sells to his miserly uncle a means for making pots self-cooking. (2) In revenge, he is put into a bag to be thrown into the sea; exchanges places with a shepherd and gets his sheep, (3) then pretends to his uncle to have got them underseas and persuades him to try the same means of enriching himself. The first is a modification of the self-cooking vessel, which is episode C in Bolte u. Polívka’s analysis.
Compare Clouston, Popular Tales 2: 243, 263, for Norse (Dasent) and Italian (Crane) parallels; Espinosa, Pedro de Ordimales cycle, JAFL 27: 169, and discussion, 220–221.
The second and third are episodes H and J in Bolte u. Polívka. See numbers 23 and 108 in this collection.
108. Big Begum and Little Begum. [Story]
See note to number 106. The story is a version of Hans Anderson’s Big Claus and Little Claus, Grimm 61; Bolte u. Polívka 2: 1–18 and contains three episodes. (1) “Little Begum” tricks “Big Begum” into killing his oxen to get gold. (2) and (3) He exchanges places in the bag, gets a drove of sheep, and tricks “Big Begum” into getting himself drowned in the same bag, as in number 107.
(1) Episode F in Bolte u. Polívka’s analysis. This informant’s stories were not well motivated; the version does not explain how “Little Begum” sold the pretended magic hide. In Arcin, 475–476, Zeltner, 62–72, and Parsons, Andros Island, 86, the episode is accompanied by the trick of the life-giving staff (G′ and see number 106); in Edwards, 95–96, by the trick of the dead mother pretended slain (G″ and see number 135).
(2) and (3) In Fortier, 88–89, as in this version, (1) is accompanied by the bag trick, episodes H and J in Bolte u. Polívka’s analysis. See also number 23.
Compare the “Pedro Ordimales” cycle in Recinos, JAFL 31: 474–477.
109. The Fool and the Wise Brother. [Story]
The detail of this story proves a folk rather than a literary source.
The story has three parts. (1) The foolish brother kills his mother in the bath. (2) The two brothers hide in a tree under which robbers are dividing their spoil and frighten the robbers away by dropping down a weight upon them. (3) One robber returns, and gets his tongue cut out.
Compare Zeltner, 62–72; Arcin, 477; Lenz, 51–53; Parsons, Andros Island, 92–94 and reference note; Sea Islands, 132; Espinosa, JAFL 27: 119–120; Recinos, JAFL 31: 473–474.
(1) See Grimm 147, Old Man Made Young Again, Bolte u. Polívka 3: 193–199, where the killing hot bath is identified with the fire bath which restores the old to youth, but which either fails when attempted by a pretender or is employed as a trick to destroy a powerful enemy; e.g. Ferrand, Madagascar, 67. In Arcin and Zeltner, the story follows this order: (1) Gold-producing animal, (2) Life-giving staff, (3) Ear cut off, the life-giving staff taking the place of the killing hot bath. In a Jamaica version from Richard Morgan, the killing hot bath is followed by the story of carting the mother about as if she were alive and extracting hush money from her pretended murderers, as in number 135 (episode G” in Bolte u. Polívka’s analysis of Grimm 61).
110. The Children and the Witch. [Story]
See Grimm 15, Hansel and Gretel, Bolte u. Polívka 1: 115–126. Numbers 83, 98, 115, 119, have some points in common with this story.
111. The Boy and the Mermaid. [Story]
This fragment must belong to a story of a child promised before its birth to a water-spirit, as in Grimm 181 and Parsons, Sea Islands, 137.
112. Difficult Tasks. [Story]
The fragment belongs to a story of difficult tasks, as in number 105.
113. The Grateful Beasts. [Story]
See Grimm 197, The Crystal Ball, Bolte u. Polívka 3: 424–443; and compare: Chatelain, 65–81; Lenz, 25–27; Mason and Espinosa, JAFL 24: 398; discussed by Espinosa, JAFL 27: 212–213.
114. Jack and the Bean-stalk. [Story]
See Joseph Jacobs, English Fairy Tales (Putnam, 1898), 59–68, and compare Parsons (Maryland and Pennsylvania), JAFL 30: 212–213.
115. Jack and the Devil. [Story]
See Jekyll, 35–37, Mr. Bluebeard, and Grimm 46, Fitcher’s Bird, Bolte u. Polívka 1: 398–412.
116. Jack’s Riddle. [Story]
See Grimm 22, The Riddle, Bolte u. Polívka 1: 188–202 and compare Barker, 171–175; Fortier, 62–69; Recinos, JAFL 31: 475–476.
117. Jack as Fortune-teller. [Story]
See Grimm 98, Doctor Know-all, Bolte u. Polívka 2: 401–413, and compare Jones, 68–72; Fortier, 116; Harris, Friends, 32–33; Smiley, JAFL 32: 370; Espinosa, JAFL 24: 415–419; discussed by Boas, JAFL 25: 251, and by Espinosa, JAFL 27: 215–216.
118. Robin as Fortune-teller. [Story]
See note to number 117.
119. Jack and the Grateful Dead. [Story]
See number 113 and Boas’s discussion, JAFL 25: 256–257. This is the story of Thorsteinn, the King’s Son in Icelandic Legends (Arnason) translated by Powell & Magnussen (London, 1866), 527–540.
120. The Boy and his Master. [Story]
See Grimm 68, The Thief and his Master, Bolte u. Polívka 2: 60–69; and compare Tremearne, 223–224; Mason and Espinosa, New Mexico, JAFL 24: 423–424.
121. The Language of Beasts. [Story]
See Grimm 17, The White Snake, Bolte u. Polívka 1: 131–134; and Aarne’s study, Der Tiersprachen verstehende Mann, in FF Communications No. 15. Compare Koelle, 143–145; Basset 2: 119–124; Junod, 314–317; Chatelain, 219–223; Smith, 565.
122. The Three Pieces of Advice. [Story]
Compare Steere, 413; Mason & Espinosa, JAFL 24: 408–411: discussed by Espinosa, JAFL 27: 213–214.
123. The Brothers and the Life-tree. [Story]
See Grimm 107, The Two Travellers; Bolte u. Polívka 2: 468–482 and compare Dayrell, 58–60; Espinosa, JAFL 27: 191–195.
124. The Skillful Brothers. [Story]
See Grimm 129, Four Skillful Brothers, Bolte u. Polívka 2:165–169 and compare Cronise and Ward, 200–205; Renel 1:215–223; Dennett, 33–34; Parsons, Sea Islands, 75.
125. The Three Sillies. [Story]
See Grimm 34, Clever Elsie, Bolte u. Polívka 1:335–342, and Clouston, Book of Noodles, 7. Compare Parsons, Andros Island, 128–129; Sea Islands, 94.
126. A Misunderstanding. [Story]
See Grimm 84, Hans Married, Bolte u. Polívka 2:203–204.
127. Big-head, Big-belly and Little-foot. [Story]
The story is very common in Jamaica. See Grimm 18, The Straw, the Coal and the Bean, Bolte u. Polívka 1:135–137, and compare Parsons, Andros Island, 147.
128. The Goat in the Lion’s Den. [Story]
129. Donkey, Cat and the Lion’s Head. [Story]
The familiar episode of the Wolf’s head which occurs early in the Reynard cycle (see Percy Society Publications 12, Introduction, pages xxxiii–xxxiv) is, in African stories, often combined with that of the Goat in the Lion’s den (or the Hyena’s). Compare Rattray, Chinyanje, 149–152; Tremearne, 227–229; FL 22:63–65.
130. Clever Molly May. [Story]
See Grimm 77, Clever Gretel, Bolte u. Polívka 2:129–131; and Parsons, Sea Islands, 140. From this point in the group of stories Anansi is introduced in the role of hero.
131. Dancing to Anansi’s Fiddle. [Story]
See Grimm 110, The Jew among Thorns, Bolte u. Polívka 2:490–503; and compare Bundy, JAFL 32:412–413.
132. Anansi Claims the Dinner. [Story]
Compare Nassau, 42–44; Tremearne, FL 21:212; Krug, JAFL 25:106–107.
133. Anansi seeks his Fortune. [Story]
See note to number 106, and Grimm 104, Wise Folks, Bolte u. Polívka, 2:440–451. One version from Parsons, Andros Island, 93–94, connects this episode with those of the frightened robbers and the tongue-cutting in number 109.
134. The Pannier Jar. [Story]
See note to number 106. This is episode F‴ in Bolte u. Polívka’s analysis of Grimm’s Little Peasant. Compare Parsons, Sea Islands, 89; JAFL 32: 372, and note for references.
135. Anansi kills his Grandmother. [Story]
See note to number 106. This is episode G″ in Bolte u. Polívka’s analysis of Grimm’s “Little Peasant.” Compare Parsons, Andros Island, 87 and note for references.
136. White-belly and Anansi. [Story]
See note to number 106. The trick corresponds to F′ or G′ in Bolte u. Polívka’s analysis of The Little Peasant.
137. Monkey hunts Anansi. [Story]
See Boas, JAFL 25: 223–226, where the Devil is the rival sorcerer.
138. Anansi and the Pig. [Story]
See Grimm 72a, Bolte u. Polívka, 2: 100–106; and compare Parsons, Andros Island, 108 and note; discussion of Spanish forms by Boas, JAFL 25: 252, note; by Espinosa, JAFL 27: 222–227.
139. The Fifer. [Story]
The story is common in Jamaica. See Jekyll, 98–99. It was told me as a “speak-acting” story, but as I could get no other of exactly the same character, I do not know how common it used to be to present a Nansi story in this way. The Nansi story is now given in the form of a dramatic monologue or rehearsed simply as a tale.
For the story of “The Fifer,” six actors were required, one to represent the boy, one the father, and four others the “wild beasts.” “Anansi,” “Dry-head,” “Tacoomah” and “Tiger” were the “beasts.” Roe said that “the one who takes the son’s part tells the story.” The dramatization went on much like a school exercise performed by grown men, with improvised action and (probably) extemporized dialogue. It ended in a dance in which all six joined.
Compare Tremearne, 301; Harris, Nights, 370–373; Edwards, 87–88; Parsons, Andros Island, 137–138.
The story seems to be drawn from such prohibitions against whistling at night or whistling more than twice when walking at night or through a haunted forest as are quoted by Sebillot, Le Folk-lore de France 1: 159, 283. He tells a Breton story of a lad who forgot the prohibition and found himself mocked and followed by the Devil, who bore him off just as he had reached home. Compare number 66, note.
141. Tacoomah makes a Dance. [Story]
Medleys of this character seem to have been a popular form of entertainment and may still be common, though the examples I have were given me in every case by old men. They are composed of scraps of song or whole scenes from well-known Nansi stories, together with game-songs, imitations of animal sounds, and “rhyming,” strung together much like our own musical medleys—the last line of one suggesting the first of the next. In this example, story-songs from numbers 97 and 86 are followed by a game dialogue; next by some animal imitations; last, by a specimen of Jamaica “rhyming.” Other examples of this kind of improvised “rhyming” are:
“Mr. Might, jump up a height, after a kite,
And knock his eye, upon his hog-sty, and cry out ‘hi!
oh, my! why should I die’.”
“There is a boat, and in the boat, is a goat, and has
a long coat, catch him under the throat.”
142. Anansi makes a Dance. [Story]
The songs of this medley at first follow the story of Goat’s escape from the dance, number 40, combined with the parallel story of Rat’s escape from Puss’s dance. The song is taken from a popular game in which one player represents the cat, another the rat; all the others form a line with clasped hands, and Puss tries to catch Rat through the line, while all sing the song. The bull’s song belongs to number 88 or 89. Anansi’s fifing is possibly taken from 139.
143. Red Yam. [Story]
Old Mary Roden was bed-ridden and lived in a one-roomed hut, the floor of which was falling in. The little grandchild, when prompted to “make a figure,” danced quite spontaneously to the rhythm of the grandmother’s quavering song. The same is true of the next two numbers. Songs sung to be danced to in this fashion have rather the monotonous rhythm of a drum-beat than any melody in our sense of the word. For the story, see number 23.
145. Fowl and Pretty Poll. [Story]
Literally this means, Fowl wants to be married to Parrot in church, but Parrot has no good clothes. Parrot wants Crow to marry her in church, but he says he can’t because of his peelhead (or perhaps he wants to in spite of this peelhead). Compare the witticism vi.
146. The Cumbalo. [Story]
Sarah Findley was an old-time negress who lived in a little hut far out in the bush. She danced to the song with a queer jumping motion like boys playing leap-frog and with all the agility of a young girl. The dance as a wake game is performed upon two parallel bars held by four men. One informant called it dancing “Calimbe.”
149. Animal Talk. [Story]
Again there are, in this medley which imitates animal sounds, reminiscences of consecutive Nansi stories—Crab’s words, in number 54; Ground Dove’s in 50. For the fasting contest, see number 61.
Tremearne, 28, says that the imitation of animal cries is a favorite device in African story-telling. Compare Hollis, Nandi, 109–111, where a great many examples are given of this kind of entertainment.
Witticisms.
I & II. These old-fashioned slave stories are from old Vassel Edwards at Retirement, in the Cock-Pit country. They belong to the “nager-trick” stories quoted by Lewis.
III. The Congo negro is said to be duller-witted than negroes from the Gold Coast. To call a man a “Congo” is hence a term of ridicule.
IV. This witticism is common. In one version, the man was said to be “walking in Kingston.” Mrs. Elizabeth Hilton gave me a version she learned from Henry Roe, school-master at Retirement, which bears the marks of having been put together by some literary entertainer.
“Massa Peter was a funny sort of a buckra massa. He was “mustafenia” (white by law). Massa Peter an’ me, we go to school together. We were readin’ in a ‘pellin’ (book) an’ we were doin’ jumba fraction sum.
“From the day me leave school me never see Marse Peter any more till one day we buck up. A glad to see him till a couldn’t glad any more. Marse Peter went a tell me somet’ing, a laugh till me belly nearly pop.
“Marse Peter was the sort of boy used to go out after hours. Him ma tell him if him (she) been dead before him, she will show him token (frighten him). But Marse Peter never will believe her. One night, Marse Peter go out. When him coming back, he catch right at the cross-road where dem Taylor boy used to sit down a day-time, an’ smell somet’ing funny, but he never know wha’. He been ’fraid, but afterward he no ’fraid again. An’ see one man come wid litt’e fire. He say, ‘I beg you a light, sah!’ The man give him a light. The man has some teeth a his mouth, they long like a Jack-ass a laugh a sun-hot. Marse Peter pass the man. He meet up another man. He say, ‘Look here, me frien’, I meet a man jus’ roun’ the turning, have teeth long like a Jack-ass a laugh a sun-hot.’ The man said, ‘Teeth like these do they long?’ Marse Peter run an’ he run an’ never stop runnin’ till he meet up a mother bed. From that, Marse Peter never go af’er no girl again. Marse Peter behave a good buckra massa af’er this.”
V. The witticism is used in a good many connections. In one story, a man finds a boy by the roadside and takes him home. When he asks the boy to blow the fire, the duppy says, “Me kyant blow de fire, for me dead long time an’ dirt eat out all me teet’.” The man beats him and he runs away crying, “Lor! me dead two time.” In another version, “Rolling Calf” takes possession of a house. While he is asleep, the owner makes an iron fork red hot and catches him about the neck.
VI. See number 145.
VIII. Compare Cundall, FL 15:91, where the “Rolling Calf,” afraid of the moon, tumbles over into the stream and sprains his foot. He says, “A don’t mind the wet, a wet, but the ’prain a ’prain me foot’.”
X. In Tremearne, FL 22:222–223, Lizard and Mouse both court a woman. Mouse tells her that Lizard is blind, can’t see at night; Cock tells her that Rat is a thief, can’t be seen in the market.
In Koelle, 174–177, Toad and Rat have a wager to see if one can do what the other cannot. Toad passes a crowd with a whole skin; Rat is pursued with sticks and stones.
XI. See number 48.
XII. From Alexander Archibald, near Mandeville.
XIII. From Mrs. Matilda Hall, Harmony Hall. See number 4.
XVI. This and the next two witticisms were written out by some young lads in Bethlehem, Santa Cruz Mountains.