Gullah Culture Research Paper

Tia Burton
Dr. St. Mark
Gullah Culture and Traditions
16 April 2015

Table of Contents
Gullah Geeche: Sweet grass Baskets
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..3
History and traditions of Gullah people ………………………………………………...4
Dr. Turner’s view on Gullah Dialect………………………………………………….…5
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Gullah Dialect……………………………..…...6
Thomas Higginson’s view on Gullah folk music..............................................……..6
The importance of folk music in the Gullah culture……………………………………..7-8
William S. Polliter’s view on Gullah folk music…………………………………….….8
The Beginning of Sweet Grass Baskets…………………………………………………..9-10
How Sweet Grass Baskets are made and the process…………………………………….10-11
The Importance …show more content…
Historians noted that people of the Low Country Gullah culture use several instruments within their music such as fiddle, banjo, and most importantly drums. In Africa and later in the Gullah Sea Islands, researchers found that slave music and their religion are incorporated together. African people do not usually separate the music like Americans, for example in America there is Religious music and secular. African people like there music to be a body of one. Gullah people on the Sea Islands continued to use musical traditions which derived from Africa; things like ring shouts, spirituals, and hymns. Work song where very important on slave plantations, the African people believe music and songs will keep them healthy and allow them to work long and hard. “in the case of a job calling for a crew to work together on jobs like sawing and hauling timber or moving heavy loads, singing in rhythm helped to coordinated the efforts” (Cross 2008). Some slave masters did not allow their slaves to sing on the plantation so slaves would hum instead to ensure they still had some sign of relief. Music is a factor which is used to express oneself and that is what African and Gullah people used it for. “Music from Africa was retained among the Gullah because it expressed feelings of joy or of grief, promoted physical and spiritual …show more content…
Adelin and she made Sweet Grass baskets for 60 years, she stated “I can work for 10 hours a day weaving a basket, it can take days, even months to make one basket” (Bev 2014). The baskets which come with a lid take even longer because the lid must fit just right (Bev 2014). Sweet Grass baskets are very popular, they were used in Africa to hold water and were called Fanners once they were introduced to the Low Country. In the Low Country, mainly in South Carolina, to some Sweet Grass baskets were used to separate chaff from the rice (Bev 2014). The slaves would throw the rice in the air as the chaff blew away (Bev 2014). Gullah people also used the Sweet Grass baskets when they were collecting cotton; this allowed them to carry ample amounts of cotton at one time, which also allowed them to move effectively. There is also a festival which takes place at a church in South Carolina; festivals are also very important to the Gullah Culture because it gives the Gullah people the opportunity to show the country how basket weaving has benefited their lives and others around them. The festivals are also an opportunity for several ethnic groups to learn how the baskets are made, for example “The basic pattern begins with a knot or long row which is gradually extended rounded and around and upward until the basket reaches it desired size. As

Show More

Related Documents: Gullah Culture Research Paper

Southern Story Telling Analysis