Southern Roots

While my last name is Fruge,' typically meaning that I come from French roots, the folk group that I would like to talk about would be the Acadians, who were the descendants of the original French settlers. My mother's last name was Aucoin who was part of the original Acadians that were deported from Acadia which is now part of Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. After being deported by the British many of the Acadians settled into Louisiana where they would become known as Cajuns.

One of the most famous types of Folklore found within Acadian history is the love story of Gabriel and Evangeline during "The Great Upheaval" (coined term of the deportion). The story follows their separation during the British removal of the Acadians. Evangeline then travels across North America in search of him, but can never seem to find him. It is when she has finally reached old age that she is reunited with Gabriel who is among many that have been stricken with disease. He dies in her arms. This piece of folklore was actually turned into a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Because they were an isolated people, the Acadians did indeed have a strong sense of community. They were also quite skillful in creating dykes. When a young couple would marry within the village. the citizens would come together to help build a house for the new couple. It was a great opportunity, for work, celebration, and food. Some of the musical instruments that were provided consisted of fiddles and jaw harps.

They were also crafted in unique cuisines such as Acadian Buttermilk Pie, Fish Chowder, Chicken Fricot, and Molasses Cookies. Here is the link to those recipes if anyone would like to try them.
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/j.josse/AcarianRecipes.htm


In case anyone is interested, you can find more information on the Acadian lifestyle via the following links:

http://www.francoiseparadis.com/thebook.html
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/arch/infos/infoaca1.htm
http://www.umaine.edu/canam/k-12outreach/acadia/culturefocus.htm