Three Surprising Details about Gullah People

People with a taste to explore the ancient culture and traditions will find the Gullah community to be very interesting. The Gullah corridor is a famous and important part of the Hilton Head, and visiting the Sea Islands will be incomplete without exploring the Gullah community.

The history of the Gullah people is quite fascinating. They are descendants of Africans and were initially enslaved in the indigo and rice plantations present in the lower Atlantic coast. Most of the Gullah community people came from West Africa, which is why the community represents some of the deep cultural vibes in everything they do. If one has a deep interest in learning and understanding the ancient community, then getting to know the Gullah Geechee culture will unfold a lot of things in general. Since the Gullah communities are the descendant of Africa, the language itself has gone through several changes in terms speech patterns and vocabulary. Here are some of the things that Gullah people are involved with.

1.    Foodways

Starting with the very basic detail about the Gullah community that is the diet and food habits they follow. The traditional diet of the community people is quite simple and basic which were initially imported from Europe. Vegetables that were regularly traded were Okra, rice, yams, peas, peanuts, sesame, hot peppers and more. Rice at the time became the staple food for the Gullah community and the people of the southeast coastal region.

2.    Art and Creativity, Music

The Gullah community has some of the talented members who brought the rich African heritage of art and culture into the light. The craftwork that they follow is quite famous and bought from most of the tourists, especially as souvenirs. Their products are designed by the Gullah community, and are highly inspired by their ancestors. However, the products were designed out of a sheer need for businesses like making cast nets for fishing, basket weaving, textile art, and others. The music, however, changed with time and situations of the community members. They had musicians who truly dedicated their talents to creating something different and spiritual. The trails of such talents are seen in several genres like gospel music, ragtime, soul, hip hop and jazz.

3.    Spiritual Expression

The Gullah Geechee Corridor is surrounded by people who are greatly involved in spirituality. Their community and family life revolve around pray houses and religious practices. They consider it to be an important part of their daily life. Their religious values include the belief in God, respecting the elders, cherishing the bond of kinship that the ancestors have built, and to treat the community above individuality. The basic practicing of spirituality doesn’t just end with the community, it also includes taking care and respecting nature and focusing on the afterlife.

People have often found praise houses and small shelters where the community got together for honoring religious services.

Some facts about Gullah Geechee 

• Gullah is an English-based Creole that includes the West African Languages, English Caribbean vernacular, English.
• Another fact about the Gullah community is that the people were not allowed to learn English. However, they were quite educated in their native language, and English was spoken as the common language around them.
• Gullah is not written as the meaning but interpreted by the authors because it is an oral language. The language is usually written phonetically, but if you find it written in English, you will find a particular flow due to the punctuation and pace.
• The term Gullah Geechee is best described for the traditions, language, people, the lifeways and foodways, occupational details, spiritual customs, and settlement patterns. These are some of the things described and passed down to the other generations throughout the Southeast US Coast.

The Gullah Geechee culture in the Hilton Head plays an important part in the development and enhancement of their community. Understanding and learning about the Gullah heritage will not only enhance the basic idea about their ancestors but also reflect their bond and brotherhood within the people.