Louisiana is such a fascinating place as it such a complicated mixture and tapestry of various culture, language, ethnicity, music, food, landscape and folklore. The state has many similarities within the US, but yet so many differences that it is a unique treasure to spend time and immerse one self within a reasonable geographic area. It is because of these qualities that Louisiana has become a primary focus within my current creative research.
The foundation of all my teaching, research and practice is based on the narrative whether it is folk tales, fables, cultural, political, and song. I express my narrative through animation, sketching, music and performances. My particular focus is to gain a deeper understanding of folklore based within the Acadian/Cajun tradition of music, story and the landscapes of Southwestern Louisiana.
During my sabbatical, I explored all these aspects that became the foundation for my creative research that will focus on a future film project with original music and art inspired by Cajun music and folklore of the “Rougarou”. I traveled to Louisiana to study with contemporary and traditional Acadian/Cajun and Creole artists and explored the landscapes of Southwestern Louisiana. I am learning and performing traditional folks tunes based on the Cajun tradition, by mentoring with authentic Cajun, Creole and Acadian musicians. I attended the Chaude Noir Cajun/Acadian Camp in Moncton, New Brunswick Canada in June 2022 and the Balfa Cajun/Creole Music camp in Eunice, Louisiana in March 2023. In addition to these camps, I have studied basic Cajun French Language through an online course sponsored by Alliance Francais in Lafayette, Louisiana. My goal of this sabbatical was to explore, document and grow as an artist and to lay the groundwork for future film, music and art projects. This website is a road map of my progress: past, present and future directions.
Cajun and Creole? Meanings and Misnomers.
What is Cajun and what is Creole? The music and culture of Southern Louisiana really defies any lables or oversimplification. For a basic understanding, I will do my best to create a template to which further exploration is required. As with any culture, a visit to this dynamic and vibrant region is a must in ones lifetime.
Cajun: the term derives from Acadian, a group of people who came from France in the 1600’s to settle in Acadia, New France (now Nova Scotia, Canada). After the English established rule over Nova Scotia in the 1750’s, a large number of Acadians were forced to relocate to the Louisiana Territory where they settled in the Southwestern region of modern day Louisiana. This journey resulted in a great hardship and many were lost to disease and others had to endure bigotry and prejudice as they were first relocated to the colonies or France. Ultimately the final refuge was Southwestern Louisiana were the Acadians were able to establish homesteads.
Creole: is another term that is hard to define as it can mean several different cultures, people and such. Generally speaking Creole was a term given to Francophones, Catholic, white and black, living in Louisiana before the arrival of Acadians. There are Spanish speaking Creole’s throughout the Carribean as well as French speaking Creole People from Haiti. The term “Creole” has many different meanings and can be quite controversial or disputed by different cultural and racial groups. At one point a “Creole” was defined by inhabitants who originally established the French colony. By the mid-18th century, Louisiana Creole identity had been two generations in the making.
Creole Trail Riders
Contrary to popular belief today, the term carried no racial designation—one could be of entirely European, entirely African, or of mixed ancestry and still be a Creole. It simply meant someone who was native to the colony and, generally, French-speaking and Catholic.
In Louisiana during the 19th and early 20th century, people often referred to themselves as White French and Black French. There were many barriers and conflicts in terms of racial, lingual and economics, but folks also came together and celebrated music, dance and food to create a unique culture.
New Orleans is a topic worthy entirely on its own. The city’s origin is French but being a port city it has had many influences and cultures from around the world. It is considered the birth place of Jazz and continues to be an international center for the arts.
Immigration to Lousiana in the 18th and 19th Century.
Well before the Acadians, Creoles, Spanish or French there were many different indigenous cultures that arrived in the Gulf coast. Due to the water way and all the diverse food sources this area was a focal point for humans since the end of the ice age. The Houma and Attakapa tribes are just a few who established themselves before the arrival of European powers. The Louisiana territory was established by France, but it was a remote and sparsely populated colony. Spain eventually acquired the region but it was still a remote and difficult place for immigrants with the harsh climate, tropical diseases and isolation many perished. Most people that came to Louisiana in the 18 and 19th century did so not by choice, but either by slavery, prisoners, refugees escaping from political, religious or cultural persecution. Within that context, it makes the story and spirit of the immigrants to Louisiana a compelling and enduring one that continues to this day.
Historical Challenges of the 20th Century
During the early start of the 20th century, The U.S. started to take on nationalistic qualities where assimilation and anti immigration sentiments sparked a push to have English as the standard for language. Cajun school children were force to learn and speak only English in the classroom. The very term “Cajun” or “Coon Ass” was used to defame and belittle this group of people. Not unlike the Native Americans who were forced into reservations and reform schools or African Americans who suffered from the Jim Crow era of segregation, the Cajun people were treated like second class citizens. The French language had taken a big hit and is still in peril as there are fewer and fewer fluent Cajun and Creole Francophones, but programs and initiatives like CODOFIL there are now resources to promote and educate the public about the language. Children now have an opportunity to learn the language and college students can take French immersion courses in Canada or France. The Cajun music continues to promote the language and there is a greater audience for such music through festivals, music camps and streaming services. Cajun French, is still proper French and follows all the major structure of its European counterpart, but the main differences are the nouns and locations that are unique to Southwestern Louisiana. The same could be applied to Quebecois and Acadian French in Canada. Another important factor is the language has been heavily influenced by American English and speakers tend to be bilingual and will slip both languages into their songs, stories and conversations.
Atchafalaya Basin
The one specific region that has most captivated me was the vast water network of the Atchafalaya Basin. With the old growth Cypress draped with Spanish Moss, various water fowl, vast floral and plant life and alligators all around, it became apparent that I would have to spend time and develop an artistic connection.
For more than five centuries, the Atchafalaya River Basin has captured the flow of the Mississippi River, becoming the Big River’s main distributary as it reaches the Gulf of Mexico in south Louisiana. This dynamic environment, comprising almost a million acres of the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley snd Mississippi River Deltaic Plain, is perhaps best known for its expansive swamp environments dominated by bald cypress, water tupelo and alligators. But the Atchafalaya River Basin contains a wide range of habitats and one of the highest levels of biodiversity on the North American continent.
–The Atchafalaya River Basin History & Ecology of an American Wetland, Bryan P. Piazza. Texas A&M University Press
I spent time at Lake Fausse State Park and was able to do field studies through video, photography and art from the kayak, on foot and from my cabin on the water.
Atchafalaya Basin Research
Audio added a whole other dimension and was fortunate enough to capture some of the sounds of this dynamic place. I plan to take another trip to do more extensive audio recordings as it feeds into my music and eventual sound track for animation.
Birds and FrogsOwl
Environmental Challenges
As with any location there are environmental and ecological challenges. Global warming is an obvious challenge as shoreline erosion and rising sea levels have threatened the entire Gulf coast. Ironically it ties into global carbon emissions due to the dependence on fossil fuels which is heavily refined and developed in this region. Hurricane activity has added to the peril and a great deal of coastal communities that are dependent upon the natural resources of this region. Some Cultural Anthropologists are concerned that the unique language and culture of these coastal communities will be lost if people are forced to relocate to another region.
On the flip side, the petroleum industry has created an economy that many people depend upon for a lively hood. There are no simple solutions or consensus on the best course of action or how to even deal with such challenges. The vast oil pipelines hidden beneath the bayous and state are a reminder how closely the region is tied to this industry that is one spill or catastrophe away from permanent damage to the fragile ecosystem that many people depend upon for a sustainable living. I ponder what will happen to all the Injury Lawyers if Louisiana finds alternative to the oil industry.
Heavily Engineered
Similar to the Southeastern U.S. where rivers have been damned and controlled by the Army Corp of Engineers, the Basin has been heavily engineered with damns, pump stations, channels and levees to control flooding, water flow and drainage. This has caused many challenges from oxygen levels to drop due to lack of water flow, severe species loss, invasive plant life and excessive harvesting of Cypress.
Cajun Music started as fiddle dance music inspired by the 16 century French folk tunes that immigrants brought with them. Soon they were influenced by Carribean, Latin and American folk music which also led to Creole Dance music. The Accordion was made popular by German Music makers who imported the instrument to North America in the late 1800’s. Black and White musicians played this music and created variations of common tunes of the day. The goal was to make people dance in house parties or grange halls. Mid 20th Century brought amplification and electric instruments were incorporated as Rock and Roll started to factor into this music. Creole Dance music evolved into Zydeco, or Haricot sont pas sale: meaning beans have no salt…which was a play on food. Zydeco tends to differ from traditional Cajun or Creole dance music in that is incorporates full Rock and Roll ensemble of Drums, Bass, Electric Guitar, Washboard and Accordion. Today we have terms like “Swamp Rock” that takes all these elements and turns them into yet another unique style. The bottom line is that the goal of all this music is to make people dance!
Cajun/Creole Accordion
My Larry Miller made box, made cir 1990’s from Curley maple recovered from Lake Superior
Larry Miller a legendary Accordion Builder, let me into his shop. I brought my Larry Miller Bon Cajun Accordion for a tuning and he surprised me with the origin of the wood. He said it came from old growth Maple that was salvaged from the bottom of Lake Superior.
Larry Miller, Master BuilderMartin Accordion Studio and Shop
Different Styles of Louisiana Diatonic Accordion
At Balfa Camp, there are plenty of great musicians who share their talents, insights and techniques. There are various workshops with different instruments like Fiddle, Guitar, Accordion, Vocals, Percussion, and even Harmonica. Since the Accordion is my main emphasis, there was no shortage of great workshops and artists to choose from. As I had mentioned before, Cajun and Creole are terms that can be misleading or too vague to adequately describe what is being played. But it is important to understand the bottom foundation and origin of certain styles. Music and Dance are at the core of most of this world as patrons are often up on their feet rather than just listening to the music like it was a concerto. Creole dance clubs will tend to emphasize strong rhythm and the melody is often repetitive with short motifs rather than longer melodic phrases as the dancers will reflect that. Another aspect I find fascinating is Creole style will force out the notes and have larger chords meaning more buttons pressed at once, where in more traditional Cajun style tunes, the melody can be softer and less notes or even single note style to emphasize the voice or melody of a traditional tune. This again is my perception and both styles are integrated in all types of music and how the musician may blend or jump from one technique to the other. I included two basic ideas from two well respected Musicians playing two different tunes, but I believe it’s at least a starting point to appreciate how this 10 button accordion can get so many voices out of it. Finally, listen to the bass side (Left Side) and you’ll get a sense of how styles differ.
Blake Miller plays “My True Love” by Dewey Balfa a traditional Cajun tune.
Jeffery Broussard plays a “Boozoo Groove”, notice how one motif or theme is played against the strong rhythmic undercurrent.Jeffrey Broussard, accordion workshop
Cajun/Acadian Music Camps
Cajun Music camps are a wonderful gathering of like minded folks to share, learn and develop fellowship around the music and dance culture of Southwestern Louisiana. The term “Cajun” again is somewhat subjective and does not always properly define or give a scope to the various and multi cultural aspects of the region. Creole or Zydeco have been terms to also define the style of music, but for this purpose I will do my best to expand upon the genre and styles of this region. Creole Dance Music in my opinion is a good framework for the style of music and dance that you will find in some areas. Cajun music, like any “label” you may give to a certain genre is not definitive as it means different things to different people. One does not have to be “White” or “Black” to do any style of music, but if one is to perform this music, they must do so at the discretion of the audience. Playing Cajun or Creole Dance music in Ontario or South Carolina is a much different experience doing it in Eunice, Louisiana. When I come to Southwest Louisiana for music related opportunities, I come with a humility and open mind as I am at a different level than folks who have been born or lived a long time learning from each other and playing this music. When I do perform outside of Louisiana, I do not proclaim to be a “Cajun” or “Zydeco”, but I do promise that I will sing these songs in the Vernacular and play the tunes within a frame work that was taught to me directly from Legendary and well respected Artists from this region.
Raging Dave with Balfa Camp AllStars in Eunice at the Lakeview stage
This Camp had musicians from Lafayette, Quebec and Acadia to share, teach, dance and eat local and Louisiana cuisine. This was an opportunity for me to explore the origins of the Cajun people and to see how modern day Acadians express themselves through their culture, language and arts.
Cajun folklore is rich and full of color and imagination. To fully understand the depth and subtle aspects one must be able to comprehend the French language. I had an opportunity to take a beginner course in the Cajun language through an online program through the Alliance Française de Lafayette whose mission is to enrich, develop and sustain the francophone community of Lafayette and its surrounding area by teaching French and its local varieties while affirming and building on its heritage through diverse cultural programming. I am by no means bilingual, but I was able to get a deeper understanding of the differences and subtleties of the French language as it pertains to the various regions and cultures. My goal is to be able to sing and perform Cajun music within the vernacular of the region. This course, along with the music camps that I have engaged in with native Cajun and Creole speakers has given me a start and through continue practice and mentorship, I hope to achieve a basic competency within the music.
The University of Louisiana has a wonderful archive of Cajun/Creole recordings, videos and stories. While most of the recordings are in French, they are still of great value in my research.
Loup Garou, Rougarou, Werewolf: original and new adaptations
Were wolves, shape shifters, and supernatural beings that transform from human form into various animal beings is a common folk lore through out the world. The Rougarou had first caught my attention when I first explored folk tales and myths from reading several books based in Louisiana. One such book, Gumbo Ya Ya documents various accounts of this mysterious swamp creature.
Here they are known as Loup-Garous, and are the most dreaded and feared of all the haunts of the bayouland. Accounts of lycanthropy are rare in America, but Cajun children are constantly warned, ‘The Loup-garou will get you, yes! You better be good.’ And many of the children’s elders believe emphatically in the existence of these horrible wolf-things.
A 18th century engraving depicting a wolf attack from Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg’s ”Die Emeis”
Tracing the origins of the Rougarou or Loupagrou takes us back to medieval France and the Loup-Garou here is a more concrete threat due to actual wolves that populated the various regions of Europe. Often these experiences turned into morality tales about virtue and being a faithful parishioner who must not neglect their Catholic duties.
In most medieval tales, they depict upper-class men transformed into or forced to remain as werewolves by means of female treachery and magic of some sort.
Very similar to woman being accused of witch craft or sorcery, men were vulnerable to being accused of being a Loup Garou, in the case of Gille Garnier, he was accused of various gruesome deaths and mutilations of victims both children and adults after All Saints Day. He was convicted and condemned to be burned alive.
Loup-Garou in Canada
the French-Canadian loup-garou was a malevolent, destructive creature who could nonetheless be “cured”—converted back to full humanity—with surprising ease. Like its French literary precursor, the French-Canadian loup-garou evolved from an oral tradition of folktales; it also engaged central questions of civility versus barbarism, as well as sexuality an gender relations. Yet the French-Canadian werewolf developed in a completely new setting: that of colonizing a new world, including interacting with what Old World discourses termed “savage” peoples and their lore about the territory now being explored and inhabited by European newcomers.
The Loup Garou starts to take on different meanings and mortality as French travel deeper into North America. With one particular folktale of Angelique and the Loup Garou based from stories collected from Mackinac Michigan.
In the ultra-Catholic context of nineteenth-century French-language commu nities in Québec and the Great Lakes region, werewolf tales stress the purity and virginity of the woman, in contrast with the medieval texts’ placing blame on the unfaithful wives. In the French-Canadian context, uncontrolled male sexual desire poses a danger to the community, as the unwanted suitor, or the bridegroom himself, assumes the shape of the loup-garou.
When the Loup-Garou or Rougarou arrived in Louisiana, it lost a great deal of the morality and mythos in transit. Perhaps it was due to the lack of wolves in the swampy southland or assimilated into a hybrid shape shifting folklore with the Houma tribe, but it is hard to to find documentation or published accounts of the Rougarou in any consistent way. The Rougarou is more abstract figure open to more interpretation.
Yet for all of its popularity in the Louisiana folklore pantheon, primary sources and first-person attestations of Loup-garou tales are surprisingly scarce compared to other lesser-known folklore figures. The attestations that exist today, be they in written form or sound recordings, generally fall into one of two categories: personal accounts and mere descriptions of the creature’s traits and characteristics.
Folklore Figures of French and Creole Louisiana pg 146
I believe that this allows for greater interpretations and creative liberty. I believe that in a way the Rougarou is the perfect protagonist for the survival of the Atchafalya Basin and all that it impacts. The Rougarou is often misunderstood and feared, but with further exploration and connection with nature, we start to see the value and beauty of the beast that is ultimately our own salvation.
Le Rougarou woodcut print by David Donar
Le Rougarou Film Project
Early Concept DesignsRefined Concept Art
Concept Animation
My adaptation
Prairie Arcadia
Another creative project has arisen from my travels and I am inspired by the Prairie region of Southwestern Louisiana where rice fields, cattle ranches, Sugar Cane and Crawfish Farms are prevalent.
Louisiana is such a fascinating place as it such a complicated mixture and tapestry of various culture, language, ethnicity, music, food, landscape and folklore. The state has many similarities within the US, but yet so many differences that it is a unique treasure to spend time and immerse one self within a reasonable geographic area. It is because of these qualities that Louisiana has become a primary focus within my current creative research.
The foundation of all my teaching, research and practice is based on the narrative whether it is folk tales, fables, cultural, political, and song. I express my narrative through animation, sketching, music and performances. My particular focus is to gain a deeper understanding of folklore based within the Acadian/Cajun tradition of music, story and the landscapes of Southwestern Louisiana.
Cajun Rice Fields: I have done field studies and on location visits the various regions of Southwestern Louisiana. The Rice Farmers, use ponds to grow rice and also raise Crawfish which they harvest with an interesting boat. Herons are all over looking for opportunities to eat the crawfish. It’s an important aspect of life in SW Louisiana and is celebrated through music, dance, food and culture.
David Donar's Creative Research 