Joel Chandler Harris, Eatonton, Georgia
In 1881, journalist Joel Chandler Harris compiled a collection of African American folktales. He gathered these stories from enslaved people who would tell them on a Georgia plantation.
Most notable of fictional characters was Uncle Remus a wise elderly storyteller who narrates tricky animal stories to children.
The stories were first published in 1881 as “Uncle Remus: His songs and his sayings”. They were written earlier for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to preserve southern oral traditions.
The outwitting Brer Rabbit is one of the most recognized of the animal characters.
Some others are Brer Bear and Brer Coon:
And the young boy listened attentively!
And to this day the stories of Uncle Remus continue to be told. Or as Disney would say, “zip pee dee doo dah, zip pee dee day, my oh my what a wonderful day”.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Alice DeForest
Enjoying my retirement plan of gallivanting from one place to another. I’m inviting you to tag along to explore Coastal Georgia, South Carolina and beyond.