Come share in the rich, Creole Culture of Louisiana, cher!
Learn (French Creole) and laugh -- with the humorous, Creole characters "Bouki and Lapin"
"The Creole Folktales of Compaire Bouki and Compaire Lapin"
have a rich and fascinating history, hundreds of years old. The tales originated from Senegal, Africa and according to the historical, Louisiana Creole Plantation
'Laura'
, they were first recorded in the United States - in Laura Plantation's 150-year-old cabins.
Lapin's adventures ('Lapin' means
"rabbit"
in French) soon went on to become the popular American Tales known as '
Br'er (Brother) Rabbit'
- only
'Compaire Bouki and Compaire Lapin'
retain the original, unique French Creole 'flavor'. (In French folklore, 'compaire/compair' means brother.)
In various Louisiana stories Bouki is pictured as a donkey, raccoon or wolf. You'll get to meet 'Bouki the donkey', in "Bouki's Honey". Bouki was a 'hyena' in the original African folktales. The name 'Bouki' is a 'wolof ' word - 'wolof ' being both the language and the people of Senegal, Africa - and is said to mean, "
stupid hyena
". Some even say 'Bouki' is a play on words meaning, "
bookish"
(something the character never is). It is believed that the Senegal slaves brought to Louisiana, actually told the African-based stories of 'Bouki and Lapin' as code, to illustrate victory over the conditions of slavery - with Lapin humorously outwitting plantation owner, 'Bouki'.