Creole Slang

Here is a list of Creole slang words to possibly use in Wiley.

'Cooyon' (Foolish, silly)
'Craze-i or Craze-ah' or 'Toekey' (Crazy)
'I'll be a monkey's uncle!' (An exclamation to something you never thought would happen)
'So dirty they could stand up in the corner by themselves' (Used like: "His socks were so dirty they could stand up in the corner by themselves")

Another long list, including proper pronunciation: http://www.experienceneworleans.com/glossary.html

Hound Dogs and Swamps--Continued

Icile has been doing some research on Hound Dogs so that we can think about how we want to portray Wiley's closest furry, four legged friend.

The state dog of Louisana is the Catahoula Leopard Dog.

The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is independent, protective and territorial. Loving with its family and all people it knows well but can be reserved with strangers This breed needs a dominant owner who shows strong leadership.

The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is believed to have originated from Nordic Wolfhound being introduced some three to five hundred years before the Spanish arrived, however, no one will really know for sure. The state of Louisiana is cited as the point of origin, particularly the area of Catahoula. In 1979, the breed was designated the state dog of Louisiana. The Catahoula was named after a Parish in northeastern Louisiana and after the mottled spots on its coat. At one time this breed was used to round up feral pigs and cattle—livestock that had escaped, and was living in woods and swamps. It involved team effort that is highly coordinated and organized, fast paced, dangerous and a marvel to watch. The ideal dog team usually numbers three, and they must work together. Otherwise, one pig can kill all three in a matter of minutes. Each dog has to be aware of what the pig and the other two dogs are doing and react accordingly. Hunters sometimes used the Catahoula to trail and tree raccoons, but this dominant breed is more at home acting the thug with obstinate boars. This dog is used particularly on the difficult task of driving and rounding hogs and unruly cattle.

The Redbone Coonhound is a breed of dog, which is widely used for hunting bear, raccoon, and cougar. Their agility allows them to be used for hunting from swamplands to mountains and some can be used as water dogs. The AKC standard says, "The Redbone mingles handsome looks and an even temperament with a confident air and fine hunting talents." [1] This breed has been registered with the UKC since 1904 and the AKC since 2009. This is the type of hound featured in the novel Where the Red Fern Grows.

Read more about Redbone Coohounds Here.

Lastly, here are some cool swamp photos that Icile found: 

 

Creole/Zydeco music

Creole music is a kind of music that originated in Louisiana and has a primarily folk sound to it.
Creole music, along with Cajun music, were later developed into Zydeco music or what is known as swamp pop. Cajun and Creole music had a large influence on later country music. The instruments often used were fiddle, according, steel guitars, and some form of percussion.

Here is an example of creole music on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kFo5aYJI2U

Here are some clips of zydeco music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xfOyt3VZv0

Candace has been researching dances from the deep south, particularly those from the Alabama/Mississippi Creole region. She found a fantastic -- and fascinating -- site (www. streetswing.com/histmain.com) that has a section dedicated to Dance History Archives. As a starting point, the two-step is the dance most often used with Zydeco music. But other related dances include the cake walk, ring shout, juba, bamboula, and chica. You can look these dances up on the site to find in-depth information about how the dances originated. Videos of these historic dances are not readily available, but here is a demonstration of the Pat 'n Juba.