TIP 414 - JUST PLAIN FOLKS Kentucky is a wondrous blend of cultures, foods, music ... one can never tire of encountering a new experience around every corner. What makes up Kentucky folk? ARCHITECTURE: The architecture of Kentucky takes its form from the English, Irish, and central European styles. Then toss in some pure Americana. As one culture met another, they sometimes blended to become what is now known as Kentucky architecture. The houses ranged from one family or two family dwellings, the log cabin, with or without a loft; the saddlebag style home which had two rooms built around a central chimney; the double-pen house (a passageway between two units). One can also find two-story homes only one room deep and the shotgun house which is one room wide and several rooms deep. The early builders used the easily-recognizable logs, but soon added stone, brick and frame structures. The styles vary from county to county depending upon the nationality of the immigrants. Other factors influencing the style of home was the availability of materials. Today, in the 21st century, Kentucky housing has much blended into a general American style of modern architecture with its double-car garages, security systems and modern conveniences. But, if one gets off the main interstate and drives the country lanes, many of the older style homes can be found. Log cabins still stand, sturdy through the ages, but disguised now by siding, guttering and a fresh paint job. ARTS, CRAFTS AND COLLECTIBLES: One thing I found endearing personally when moving to Kentucky was the wonderful art styles. One can find yet the folk art in roadside stands, gift shops and fairs. Some of the most beautiful, if one could pick, would include the following: Quilts: I have always loved quilts arising from memories of my own grandmother quilting the hours away. What was once just a necessity for a poorly heated house is now a work of art treasured by collectors. Beautiful patterns, names, dates, memories, all blending into a mosaic that would rival the masters. Baskets: Basket making is one of the most interesting crafts in many parts of the state. White oak baskets are in much demand and many craftsmen of white oak reside in the Hart County area. Even the old baskets used by the pioneers to gather eggs or hold produce is now a cherished collectible. Musical instruments: Kentuckians are well known for their musical talent and their home-made instruments. More will be said on this later. Pottery: Many of the United States' finest potters can be found in Kentucky. The famous Bybee Pottery is quite well known and many potters work exactly as their predecessors with utilitarian pottery as well as glazed ware. Shaker furniture: Known the world over and sought by many collectors is the furniture made by the Shaker communities. Less well known was their oval boxes, silk kerchiefs and their food. DANCING: Kentucky dancing is fun! Shunned by many of the early churches as a punishable sin, dancing is an art form in itself. There are so many varieties of dances known by the older generations that it would be difficult to explain them all. Some of the most noted would include: Set running: This dance dates back to at least the 16th century and comes from the British Isles. In this dance, each person takes a turn. Dancers choose their partners and dance in turn with each of the other couples, joining hands and making a circle. The first couple to lead out is the caller and his partner. After the first couple has introduced each of the others, they promenade and the second couple leads out in an easy lope. This brief explanation is not meant to be a full description; set running can still be found in parts of eastern Kentucky. Step dancing: In its earliest forms, step dancing was a solo dance to lively music, many times improvised by the dancer on the floor. But over time a style developed where the dancer's body was kept rigid; arms down at the side or flailing about and the footwork a simple shuffle or a difficult footwork. It was also called buck dancing, buck and wing, hoedown, jigging, foot stomping or most commonly, clogging. One can watch this style of dances in many places in the state and one becomes exhausted watching! Singing dances: Also called play-party dancing, this was also known as a courting dance. From our childhood many of us can remember singing dances or play-party dances with such favorites as skip-to-my-lou, jolly miller, going to Boston, the old brass wagon and many more. Added to this was the old African-American dances called jump Josie, Jennie Crack Corn. Children's versions included the hokey pokey and ring around the rosie. Country dances: One might categorize this as square dancing of its various forms; a time for the people to swap tales, court their sweetie, enjoy the music and forget the cares of their lives. INSTRUMENTS: The only native instrument of Kentucky is reported to be the dulcimer, still made lovingly by craftsmen. It is an uniquely Kentuckian instrument, now found in both the lap and hammer dulcimer (which one day I hope I can afford to have!) But other instruments heard in Kentucky music would be the banjo, the mandolin, the fiddle, the guitar and the harmonica. Many an early settler fashioned his own musical instruments that would bear no resemblance to modern instruments. Animal skins - likely groundhogs - stretched over a box (cigar boxes, dynamite boxes - anything handy!) with screen wire for strings became fiddles. Bottles and jugs were blown into; washboards scratched with a stick; washtubs became drums; bones, spoons, saws, pocket combs covered with wax paper ... all could make heavenly music to those pioneers. Forgetting their fatigue and the crops that failed, the early Kentuckians could play their way into a better land of happiness and beautiful music. FOLKLIFE: Kentucky is a blend of cultures like few others. Our family fore-parents with European and African roots brought into Kentucky a blend of life styles that continues to this day. Added to this were the Swiss, Italian and Welsh. The latter are found primarily in eastern Kentucky but have spread throughout the state. Germans settled northern Kentucky around Louisville, and in western Kentucky. Now many Asian nationals from Japan, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia bring their life-styles to our state. I'll continue next week with a little on folk medicine and folk tales. I give full credit to this tip and other books and sites you can search below: Kentucky Encyclopedia, 1992, University Press of Kentucky. Montell, William Lynoon and Morse, Michael Lynn, Kentucky Folk Architecture, Lexington, KY 1976. Arnow, Jan, By Southern Hands: A Celebration of Craft Traditions in the South, Birmingham, AL, 1987. Shaw, Lloyd, Cowboy dances, Caldwel, IN, 1945. What Is Applachian Dance: http://www.earwicker.org/touchwood.htm (c) Copyright 31 October 2002, Sandra K.Gorin. All Rights Reserved. sgorin@glasgow-ky.com Col. Sandi Gorin Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/ GORIN worldconnect website: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~sgorin SCKY resource links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html