Gumbo Ya-Ya: Folk Tales of Louisiana - Softcover

Garlic hangs from the rafters. The Loup Garou holds a convention on Bayou Goula. Spiders dwell in haunted houses. Images of St. Rosalia are carried from church to church. King Zulu parades on Mardi Gras day.
The sights and sounds of Louisiana come alive in Gumbo Ya-Ya ("everybody talks at once"). Long considered the finest collection of Louisiana folk tales and customs, this new edition chronicles the stories and legends that have emerged from across the Bayou State.

All aspects of society are detailed in this wonderful album of Louisiana tradition: the old-family Creoles, with their strict codes of honor; the fun-loving Cajuns, with their curious family names and spirited fais do-do; the proud blacks, with their fascinating blend of Christianity and voodoo.

Ghosts also abound in these pages-including the headless horseman of Natchitoches, the whimsical apparition who startled citizens of Monroe, and the haunted woods in the Mackeville area.

Gumbo Ya-Ya is a charming look at the legends and practices of Louisiana. Originally written as part of the WPA's Louisiana Writers' Program, it has endured as a classic of its genre.