The Story of the
The story dates back to the Indians
w ho «ere here when I lu» first man
arrived. Since that time, the gourd
has b€»en used in a variety of uays
anil is still being cultivated ex¬
tensively.
By FIIDIi; W. WILSON
Author of "The Gourd In Folk Literature," etc.
This beautifully decorated gourd has been in the Knox family for about
150 years. It is mentioned in a genealogy and two wills.
Throughout the years the
gourd has been used for many
purposes in North Carolina and
has featured in no little measure
in the history of the state.
Our first historians, Thomas Har-
iot and John Lawson, mention the
gourd, whereas the artist John
White, who depicted life as he saw
it, gives the gourd a prominent
place in his paintings. On enter¬
ing the Hall of History in Raleigh,
the visitors sees copies of these re¬
markable pictures of the country
on Albemarle Sound and its peo¬
ple. In numerous instances the In¬
dians are shown in their ceremonial
dances shaking gourd rattles. An¬
other painting is the likeness of “A
cheiff Ladye of Pomeiooc" who
holds in her hand, according to
Hariot. "a gourde of some kinde
of pleasant liquor." And here it is
interesting to note that Paul Green,
portraying this era in his sym¬
phonic drama, The Lost Colony ,
features Uppowoe, the medicine
man, with a feathered gourd rat¬
tle; and old Tom. the philosopher-
buffoon, carrying a gourd dipper
with his wooden bucket of water.
A Variety of Uses
Moreover, the various early In¬
dian tribes from the coast to the
mountains found many uses for
the gourds that the women raised
in their gardens. The shells were
fashioned into dippers, water-jars,
food containers, bait containers (to
preserve live worms), soup ladles,
and nests for martins. The wo-
Gourd
man-potter shaped her clay pot in
the form of a gourd and smoothed
its surface with a gourd-scraper.
The Cherokee in the western
part of North Carolina used a gourd
mask in addition to the gourd rat¬
tle in certain dances; and the Cher¬
okee medicine man shook his gourd
rattle to drive away the evil forces
supposed to have caused his pa-
dipper, and in certain ailments ad¬
ministered the leaf of the gourd
vine as one of the ingredients of
his concoction.
On the other hand, Dr. Frank
Speck of the University of Penn¬
sylvania. tells us that he saw life
belts made of gourds among the
Croatans of Robeson County. These
were used by children learning to
swim and consisted of two medium¬
sized gourds fastened to the waist
over each hip. The inside of each
guord had been cleaned out and
the holes were corked to make
them water-tight.
Planted Extensively
Having seen the usefulness of
the gourd, the early settlers got
seed from the Indians; and soon
every colonial garden had its thriv¬
ing gourd vines. The fruits were
an essential feature in the domes¬
tic economy of the pioneer, just as
they had been for the Indian. Then,
when the colonists decided to free
themselves from the Mother Coun¬
try, the gourd went along with the
hunter’s rifle to battle. It was now
a container for powder. Yes. many
soldiers of the War of the American
Revolution carried powder gourds.
Among these in North Carolina was
Captain Samuel Martin of Tryon
County, brother of Governor Alex¬
ander Martin. Today Captain Mar¬
tin's gourd may be seen in the Hall
of History to which it was donated
by C. Martin Brimcr. The Cap¬
tain carried this powder gourd in
the Battle of King’s Mountain, that
patriot victory which wiped out
Major Patrick Ferguson’s army on
October 7, 1780.
The State Museum also has its
gourd treasures. Here is a large
soap gourd from the farm of Elder
Jordan W. Johnson in Edgecombe
County, given by his daughter.
Miss Linda Johnson of Tarboro;
and here too is an ancient gourd
covered with split cane having a
wire handle and a wooden stopper,
the gift of the late James F. Hatch.
Gourds representing other uses
than those already mentioned may
THE STATE. DECEMnrn 20. 1947
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