Louisiana folk-tales : in French dialect and English translation / collected and edited by Alcée Fortier.

Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Louisiana folk-tales : in French dialect and English translation / collected and edited by Alcée Fortier. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PREFACE. It is with pleasure that the writer présents to folk-lorists his “ Louisiana Folk-Tales.” He bas devoted several years to collecting his material and preparing it for publication, and he hopes that his book will be considered a useful contribution to the science of Folk- Lore. No attempt was made to raake a comparative study of the taies, and they are presented to folk-lorists as material for compari- son. Andrew Lang said that the collecter should himself eliminate the Personal équation while writing his taies and not leave this task to his reader. Such has been the constant aim of the writer and of the persons who kindly assisted him in his work, and this collec- tion is the resuit of honest and conscientious efforts to give to the public genuine folk-tales. The taies are given first in the Creole dialect, then in a faithful but not literal translation, as it is désirable to preserve the interest of the story. The study of the Creole dialect is of importance and interest, and the taies hâve been carefully written in Louisiana dialect, in order that the material may be of use to the philologist. In the Appendix are reproduced fourteen stories already published in 1888 in the “ Transactions of the Modem Language Association of America,” and in the “ Journal of American Folk-Lore,” to the end that the reader may hâve in one volume a complété collection of Louisiana Folk-Tales. The writer wishes to acknowledge his obligations and présent his thanks to his nieces, Misses Désirée and Marguerite Roman, and to Mr. Zénon De Moruelle, who hâve assisted him in his collection. One of his most valued assistants has been Mrs. Widow V. Chop- pin, of St. James Parish, recently deceased. Thanks are also due to the Secretary of The American Folk-Lore Society, for suggestions in the préparation of this work. Alcée Fortier. New Orléans, August ii, 1894.