Gumbo Ya-Ya A Collection of Louisiana Folk Tales

9780882896458

0882896458

The living folklore of Louisiana returns inthis new edition of the classic Gumbo Ya-Ya .Long considered the finest collection of Louisiana folk tales and customs,Gumbo Ya-Ya chronicles the stories and legends that have emergedfrom the bayou country. Meet the Krewe of Zulu, New Orleans' most colorfulall-black Carnival club, and the many tribes of Indians who helpcelebrate Mardi Gras with their fierce pageantry.Listen to the street criers entice customers to buy their goods. Producepeddlers hawk watermelon, cantaloupe, snap and butter beans, and strawberries.The charcoal man sells fuel to stoke the wash-day fires, while the kindling manoffers to saw two cords for a dollar and dinner. Zabette and RoseGla dispense the choicest coffee available in the French Quarter of NewOrleans. The bottle man collects old bottles, rags, and bones, driving a hardbargain with the children who expect handfuls of peppermints, whistles, horns,and rattles for their hoards of treasure.All aspects of society are detailed in this wonderful album of Louisianatradition: the Vieux Carr Creoles, with their strict codes of familyhonor; the burly Irish Channel immigrants; the lively Italians who still honorSt. Joseph and St. Rosalia with all the pomp of the Old Country; and thefun-loving Cajuns, with their curious family names and spirited fais dodo .There's no escaping superstition and voodoo in Louisiana. Several sectionsexplain the customs and beliefs that have sprung up over the centuries. Alwaysburn onion peels to ensure a steady supply of money. Sprinkle nutmeg in awoman's left shoe every night at midnight to drive her crazy. Kiss your elbowto change your sex.Gumbo Ya-Ya ( Everybody Talks at Once ) is acharming look at the legends and practices of Louisiana, particularly NewOrleans. Originally written as part of the WPA's Louisiana Writers' Program, ithas endured as a classic of its genre and is again available in a beautifulPelican edition.