Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read Ebook: Jamaican Song and Story Annancy stories digging sings ring tunes and dancing tunes by Werner Alice Author Of Introduction Etc Jekyll Walter Compiler Broadwood Lucy Etheldred Contributor Myers Charles S Charles Samuel Contributor
Font size:
Background color:
Text color:
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page
Ebook has 1836 lines and 72743 words, and 37 pages
The stories are obviously derived from various sources, the most primitive being no doubt those which are concerned only, or chiefly, with animals. These may be of African origin, but we should have expected to find the Elephant and not the Tiger. I have a suspicion that Tiger was originally Lion, and that he is the Ogre of Jack the Giant-killer, and other fairy stories brought to Jamaica from England. Ogre would easily be corrupted to Tiger, and with the information, which might have been acquired at the same time, that Tiger was a fierce animal which ate men, his name would find its way into stories repeated from mouth to mouth. This is, however, pure conjecture. How much the stories vary may be seen from the two versions of Ali Baba, in one of which the point is so entirely lost that the door is not kept shut upon the intruder.
The tunes are in the same case as the stories. What I take to be certainly primitive about them is the little short refrains, like "Carry him go 'long" and "Commando" . These suggest tapping on a drum. Again, the same influence that has produced the American Plantation Songs is occasionally visible, as in "Some a we da go to Mount Siney" . This kind of patter is just what the Negro likes. Some of the tunes are evidently popular songs of the day, as, for instance, the vulgar "Somebody waiting for Salizon" . But others are a puzzle, showing as they do a high order of melodic instinct. Such are the melodies in "The Three Sisters" and "Leah," and the digging-tunes, "Oh, Samuel, Oh!" and "Three Acres of Coffee." These digging-tunes are very pleasant to hear, and the singers are quick at improvising parts. They are an appropriate accompaniment to the joyous labour of this sunny, happy land.
The men's voices are of extraordinary beauty. To hear a group chatting is a pure pleasure to the ear, quite irrespective of the funny things they say; and their remarks are accompanied with the prettiest little twirks and turns of intonation, sometimes on the words, sometimes mere vocal ejaculations between them. The women's voices have the same fine quality when they speak low, but this they seldom do, and their usual vivacious chatter is anything but melodious.
One day Annancy an' Bro'er Tiger go a river fe wash'kin. Annancy said to Bro'er Tiger:--"Bro'er Tiger, as you are such a big man, if you go in a de blue hole with your fat you a go drownded, so you fe take out your fat so lef' it here."
Tiger said to Bro'er Annancy:--"You must take out fe you too."
Annancy say:--"You take out first, an' me me take out after."
Tiger first take out.
Annancy say:--"Go in a hole, Bro'er Tiger, an' make me see how you swim light."
Bro'er Annancy never go in.
As Tiger was paying attention to the swimming, Annancy take up his fat an' eat it.
Then Annancy was so frightened for Tiger, he leaves the river side an' go to Big Monkey town.
Him say:--"Bro'er Monkey, I hear them shing a shing a river side say:--
The Big Monkey drive him away, say they don't want to hear no song.
So him leave and go to Little Monkey town, an' when him go him said:--
"Bro'er Monkey, I hear one shweet song a river side say:--
"Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat. Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat."
Then Monkey say:--"You must sing the song, make we hear."
Then Annancy commence to sing.
Monkey love the song so much that they made a ball a night an' have the same song playing.
So when Annancy hear the song was playing, he was glad to go back to Bro'er Tiger.
When him go to the river, he saw Tiger was looking for his fat.
Tiger said:--"Bro'er Annancy, I can't find me fat at all."
Annancy say:--"Ha ha! Biddybye I hear them shing a Little Monkey town say:--
"Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat. Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat.
"Bro'er Tiger, if you think I lie, come make we go a Little Monkey town."
So he and Tiger wented.
When them get to the place, Annancy tell Tiger they must hide in a bush.
Then the Monkey was dancing an' playing the same tune.
Tiger hear.
Then Annancy say:--"Bro'er Tiger wha' me tell you? You no yerry me tell you say them a call you name up ya?"
An' the Monkey never cease with the tune:--
Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat. Yeshterday this time me a nyam Tiger fat.
Then Tiger go in the ball an' ask Monkey them for his fat.
The Monkey say they don't know nothing name so, 'tis Mr. Annancy l'arn them the song.
So Tiger could manage the Little Monkey them, an' he want fe fight them.
So the Little Monkey send away a bearer to Big Monkey town, an' bring down a lots of soldiers, an' flog Bro'er Tiger an' Annancy.
So Bro'er Tiger have fe take bush an' Annancy run up a house-top.
From that, Tiger live in the wood until now, an' Annancy in the house-top.
NOTES.
A King had t'ree daughter, but nobody in the world know their name. All the learned man from all part of the eart' come to guess them name, an' no one could'n guess them.
Brother Annancy hear of it an' say:--"Me me I mus' have fe fin' them ya-ya gal name. Not a man can do it abbly no me."
So one day the King t'ree gal gone out to bathe, an' Brother Annancy make a pretty basket, an' put it in a the house where he knew they was going to come fe eat them vittle.
He leave it there, an' go under the house fe hear the name.
When them come, them see the basket, an' it was the prettiest something they ever see in their life.
Then the biggest one cry out:--
Yung-kyum-pyung! What a pretty basket! Marg'ret-Powell-Alone! What a pretty basket!
And the next one say:--
Margaret-Powell-Alone! What a pretty basket! Eggie-Law! What a pretty basket!
And the youngest bahl:--
Eggie-Law! What a pretty basket, eh? Yung-kyum-pyung! What a pretty basket, eh?
Brother Annancy hear it all good, an' he glad so till him fly out a the house an' gone.
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page