Today I’m guest blogging over on Kody Boye’s site. He blogged for me earlier this year and turnabout is fair play.
(aka Modern Day Griots)
My mother gave me the gift of story.
Born and raised in Jamaica, she constantly regaled us with stories of duppies, obeah, rolling calves, br’er ‘nansi, and Big Boy. And as much as we teased her about them while growing up, she instilled a seed in us. It was her legacy that she wanted to pass on. They didn’t have television or the internet to entertain them. They had stories, stories passed down from one generation to the next, that shaped and defined them. Storytellers were of the tradition of griots, the keepers or lore and history. That lesson stayed with me.
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Well: I think I know what most of those Jamaican critters are: have some idea, though probably only because I read a travelogue by an engaging Welsh rogue who calls himself Mr Nice.. He was recommended the Bob Marley album Duppy Conqueror.. which sounds rather intriguing and which I have yet to get.
So what’s Big Boy when it’s at home?
I do love folklore! Listening to Steeleye Span’s Tam Lin right now!
A duppy, for those that don’t know, is a ghost. And a rolling calf.. I think is the ghost of a butcher! (For some reason in animal form: some ghosts (of humans) *do* take on animal forms.. that is a constant even in European folklore – and ghost reports! I’ve read a million!
)
And in the Caribbean, some ghosts take up abode in trees. And that’s all I know!
C’non Maurice! More about duppies!
(You could do a folklore book.)
C’mon Maurice! More about duppies!
(You could do a folklore book.)
There’s a duplicated comment on here, sorry!
You could delete the duplicated one and reply!
See if you can find my tribute to Jamaican folklore creatures: a story called “Family Business” in an issue of Weird Tales.
Mmm well.. I’d really really love to, but that could pose a problem! Weird Tales is an American horror magazine, surely? That means that amazon.co.uk won’t carry it! (Problem for me with all your short stories!) And I don’t know if any newsagents in UK do, let alone with the back issues..
Oh and I’m sure the magazine’s site sells to people overseas – but I bet you need a credit card!
So unless any of these are available online, there’s a problem!
Had a look on Wikipedia: they published one anthology in 2007 (latest one). Are you in it?
Request for further bit of info: When a magazine reprints/licenses one of your stories for an anthology, do you *always* get another payment? & is it more than the original publication of the story received?
Hey I found it digitally for sale on Angry Robot! Looks like they have a clue!