The Folk Spiritual

Spirituals are religious folk songs created by African Americans in the early nineteenth century. Favorite textual references include Old Testament heroes battling stronger foes (David, Moses, Daniel, Jonah) and the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt under Pharaoh—obvious parallels to the condition of Afr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSpirituals and the Birth of a Black Entertainment Industry p. 1
Main Author Graham, Sandra Jean
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published United States University of Illinois Press 26.02.2018
Subjects
African American culture
African American studies
African culture
African studies
American studies
Anthropology
Applied anthropology
Arts
Behavioral sciences
Cultural anthropology
Ethnography
Ethnology
Folk culture
Folk music
Folkloristics
Folksongs
Guru granth sahib
Hymns
Melody
Music
Music genres
Music theory
Musical performance
Musical pitch
Performing arts
Popular music
Popular songs
Practical theology
Religion
Religious songs
Sacred texts
Slavery
Slaves
Social organization
Sociology
Spirituals
Theology
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Summary:Spirituals are religious folk songs created by African Americans in the early nineteenth century. Favorite textual references include Old Testament heroes battling stronger foes (David, Moses, Daniel, Jonah) and the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt under Pharaoh—obvious parallels to the condition of African Americans. Inἀ e Souls of Black FolkW. E. B. Du Bois famously christened them “sorrow songs,” but the term fails to capture their multiple dimensions. In lyrics that demonstrate a selective approach to Christianity, spirituals reflect a variety of attitudes and themes, among them righteousness on Judgment Day (“Just as you live, just so you
ISBN:9780252041631
0252041631