1. The African Origins of Negro Folk Culture. ...................................................3
2 . Spiritual Beliefs and Communal Customs. ....................................................4
4 . African-american Orature. ........................................................................10
5 . Field Cries and Folk Songs. .........................................................................11
6 . Spirituals................................................................................................... 15
7. The Blues. .................................................................................................20
8 . Folk Narratives: Sermons, Proverbs, and Tales. .........................................24
9 . Sermons. ...................................................................................................25
10. Proverbs and Folktales........................................................................... 27
...The central themes of antebellum Negro animal fables are moral behavior, survival strategies, and battles of wit. Moralizing tales, modeled after their African precursors, teach lessons about social relationships. Meant to entertain, they often regale listeners with the adventurous exploits of humans or animal characters but end with an explanation of appropriate moral choice. "Chanticleer and the Barnyard Rooster" is a tale of vanity, competition, and betrayal. It blends an African tale type with a European form. Brer Chanticleer was the finest rooster in the yard. The big Yellow Rooster envied Chanticleer's position and vowed to usurp him. The two fight, and the Yellow Rooster is defeated. Still smarting from his defeat, Yellow Rooster determines to annoy Brer Chanticleer by mocking him. Each time Brer Chanticleer crows, Yellow Rooster joins him. Irked by Yellow Rooster's behavior, Brer Chanticleer schemes to kill him, soliciting the help of Brer Fox. He arranges to show Brer Fox where Yellow Rooster sleeps and does so one moonlit night. Brer Fox pounces on Yellow Rooster and devours him. "How did you like him?" Brer Chanticleer asks. "I liked him very well," Brer Fox replies. "He was fat. He was sweet. I liked him so much I want more." Brer Fox then pounces on Brer Chanticleer and devours him as well. The moral of the story is, "When you want someone to do you a service, call on your friend. Don't trust your enemy to do it." However, the tale also raises questions about pride and betraying your brothers.48 Neither rooster would have fallen prey to the fox had they worked together rather than against one another....
