ByHOWARD W. ODUM
Fellow in Psychology, Clark University
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF
CLARK UNIVERSITY, WORCESTER, MASS., IN PARTIAL
FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, AND ACCEPTED
ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF G. STANLEY HALL
Reprinted from the Am. Jour. of Religious Psy. and Ed.
July, 1909. Vol. 3, pp. 265-365.
RELIGIOUS FOLK-SONGS OF THE SOUTHERN NEGROES[1]
By HOWARD W. ODUM
Fellow in Psychology, Clark University.
To know the soul of a people and to find the source from which flows theexpression of folk-thought is to comprehend in a large measure thecapabilities of that people. To obtain the truest expression of thefolk-mind and feeling is to reveal much of the inner-consciousness of arace. And the knowledge of those evidences which are most representativeof race life constitutes the groundwork of a knowledge of social and moraltendencies, hence of social and moral needs. The student of race traitsand tendencies must accept testimony from within the race, and in thestudy of race character the value of true expressions of the feelings andmental imagery cannot be overestimated. Thus it is possible to approximateknowledge of a race. To bring a people face to face with themselves and toplace them fairly before the world is the first service that can berendered in the solution of race problems.
To preserve and interpret the contributions of a people to civilization is[Pg 2]to add to the science of folk-history. Posterity has often judged peopleswithout having so much as a passing knowledge of their inner life, whiletreasures of folk-lore and song, the psychic, religious, and socialexpression of the race, have been permitted to remain in completeobscurity. Likewise peoples have lived contemporaneously side by side, butignorant of the treasures of folk-gems that lay hidden and wasting allabout them. The heart and soul of the real people are unknown, science isdeprived of a needed contribution, and the world is hindered in its effortto discover the full significance of the psychological, religious, socialand political history of mankind. That which is distinctly the product ofracial life and development deserves a better fate than to be blown awaywith changing environment, and not even remain to enrich the soil fromwhich it sprang. Justice to the race and the scientific spirit demand thepreservation of all interesting and valuable additions to the knowledge offolk-life. The successful study of the common development of the humanintellect in primitive thought is thus advanced. The exact form ofexpression itself constitutes a contribution to knowledge and literature.
The value and importance of folk-lore are gladly recognized. Itssuccessful study and a more comprehensive recognition of its worth haverevealed new problems and new phases of thought. Not only its relation tocivilization as an historical science and as it bears definitely uponpeoples of modern cultural areas is recognized, but its essential value inthe study of psychological, anthropological, and sociological conditionshas called forth the most careful study that has been possible to give it.On the scientist’s part, knowledge has been increased, while on the otherhand, the peoples of the world have become more