Friday from the Archives: “The Dead Ain’t Helpless” by Louise Anderson in NCLR 1993
By Matt Cole, Intern
As ECU’s yearly Ghost Walk event approaches, spearheaded by Dr. Andrea Kitta and assisted by students of her folklore course, let’s revisit “The Dead Ain’t Helpless,” one of Louise Anderson’s folklore stories included in our 1993 issue.
The first half of “The Dead Ain’t Helpless” focuses on the horror and harsh reality of what many enslaved people went through in their perhaps brief lifetimes. Kwami, one of the storytellers, relates his life details: “All he knows is that they had gone out into the field that mornin’, havin’ such a good time, and some people came. And they had some long sticks that made a lot of noise. And he got hit in the head somehow. And the next thing he can remember, he’s tied up to a fellow next to him.” With such brevity, Anderson captures the experience these enslaved people had, making it abundantly clear how quickly their lives were ruined in the name of profit to create what is now Somerset Place and Pettigrew State Park.
Anderson’s brief tale is equal parts folklore and ghost story. The second half of the story, Anderson gives us an example of how even in the worst times, people can find community, and how that community can rise up over its oppressors, and how future generations will look to that community for inspiration.
Sometimes at night, even now, you come out here, and you look over this canal. You look out over this big lake. And you sit here. And you start thinkin’ about all them slaves what died buildin’ this big old canal, this big house.
And when the moon is shinin’ full, you can hear the sound – sure enough you can get into it – you can hear the sound of the drums.
With powerful worldbuilding and haunting detail, this tale of a community battling their oppression, not only for themselves but for their descendants, remains relevant today.
Read the tale on Gale Cengage and purchase a copy of NCLR‘s 1993 issue.
