French Guiana (France) / All works
Tale
Légendes et contes folkloriques de Guyane
Not translated into English
Michel Lohier · 1960
Synopsis
The collection brings together Guianese legends and tales, in Creole with the author's French translation. It mixes the history of the country with fantastic beliefs: the Devil, the Baclou, the Maskilili or Maman-di-l'eau rub shoulders with animals, the cunning Tortoise, the clever Spider, the greedy Tiger, the naive Maïpouri; among the narratives are an Amerindian tale, Kouyoury, and the legend of Vidal.
Context
First published in 1960, the collection was reissued in 1980 in Paris by the Éditions caribéennes, in 250 pages. Marie-Simone Raad, in a review of Western University, in Canada, in 2017, reads in it an allegory of the struggle between the slave and the colonial master and links these legends to collective memory, quoting the author: “the history of Guiana is peopled with legends”. A tale set in Montsinéry, “Baca la main, baca mo crucifix”, is among those she studies.
Who it is for
For hearing the oral tradition of French Guiana, between Creole legends and an Amerindian tale.
Prizes and reception
Marie-Simone Raad sees in it the history of Guiana told halfway between the fantastic and reality.
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