Story Telling
Out in the yard Brer Rabbit said, “There isn’t any justice in this land… They don’t want us to even tell our troubles to the Lord. But this time they’ve gone too far, for no creature can stop another creature from talking to the Good Lord. We’ll just keep on working and praying for Him to deliver us from our misery, and one day, by and by, He will answer our prayer, and that’s for sure.”
– “Brer Rabbit’s Protest Meeting,” The Days When the Animals Talked: Black American Folktales and How They Came to Be by William J. Faulkner
Story telling is enmeshed in our culture, keeping record of the lives before ours. Before emancipation, the enslaved were forbidden to learn to read and write, or to speak of the hardships they endured on a regular basis.
Luckily, we have records of the allegories that were handed down through generations in William J. Faulkner’s book, The Days When the Animals Talked: Black American Folktales and How They Came to Be. During the early 1900s in Darlington, formerly enslaved Simon Brown worked for William Faulkner’s widowed mother, also of African descent. Faulkner took care in writing all the stories told to him by Brown.
Many of the stories focus on Brer (Brother) Rabbit who represented the enslaved African Americans, and his encounters with those who tried to control him, such as Brer Wolf. Even though Brer Rabbit didn’t always come out victorious, he became a folk hero — one who could stand up to his oppressors.
Other stories tell of the daily life of Simon Brown and stories that were passed down to him about the way things were. The book is suitable for young readers.
You’ll find the collection of stories in bookstores and at the Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Story Telling: OUR STORY
You’ll find that phrases, stanzas, and gestures in the stories are repeated to make them easier to remember.
Storytelling serves to preserve history, teach social values, empower the listeners and honor ancestors.
Often told during evening gatherings, stories were accompanied by drums and other percussion instruments, costumes, and masks. The audience was encouraged to participate.
