A BRIEF HISTORY OF ANSE LA RAYE
Written in 2010
Anse La Raye certainly followed the development of the rest of the
island. A sugar mill remains attests to its early colonial use as a
plantation and nearby valleys were also devoted to sugar and rum
production. By the mid 20th century bananas and coconut 'copra
' oil were increasingly important. Anse La Raye became well known
for its fishing and boat building too.
Raye is the French word for the fish called skate which the early
settlers found at the mouth of the nearby river. Anse La Raie was
another adaptation of the Village name, depending on who was
naming the fish, sometimes the French and sometimes the English.
The fishing village of Anse La Raye is distinctive on St. Lucia because
it is almost at sea level, a centre of boat building and a photographer's
paradise. Anse La Raye may well have been named "the Village of
Fishing Boats" for here they were built. Even fishermen from
Martinique came to order a new 'barque'. The builder would go to
the forest and fell a Gomier tree and, in the centuries old fashion, the
rough work was accomplished by burning out the centre and hollowing
it with simple tools. Dragging the rough-hewn canoe, 'canot' in
Creole, to the beach was a big occasion accompanied by singing and
merry making. Side boards and bright colored paint completed the job.
Also, unique to Anse La Raye are small feather racing boats made of
lightweight wood, measuring about 15" long. The sails are made with
chicken feathers and by varying the direction of the feathers, more
speed and better direction are obtained. Historically, during the
Lenten period, men - not the children - race in the lagoon at the
river and hard earned wages are won or lost on favorites. Canoe
races have been a major attraction too.
In the late 1990's the village became popular for its Fish Fry night
every Friday, This event is a must for every tourist, for here the
Labours of the fishermen and culinary skills of cooks are displayed in
full array - lobsters, conch, snapper, flying fish, tuna ("ton" in Creole),
marlin, ti & go kiliwoo, etc. , ever
even the dolphin (called "methuen" in
Creole) is on the menu,
This project was by the European Union under the SEA Stride 2005 STRIDE Programme.
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