Considered by some to be the earliest form of communication, hollering was used to convey long-distance messages. For instance, if a village ran out of moonshine they would get the 'hollerer' to go out and, er, holler to the next village. The system was used for many communicative purposes, be it greetings, pleasure, work, whatever.

In the sleepy borough of Spivey's Corner, North Carolina, the good ol' folk are trying to keep the lost art alive. Since 1969, on the third Saturday of June every year, some five to ten thousand people gather from far and wide to take part in the day-long National Hollerin' Contest. Events include the Whistlin' Contest, the Conch Shell and Fox Horn Blowin' Contest, the Junior Hollerin' Contest, the Ladies Callin' Contest and, of course, the National Hollerin' Contest.

Check out the website for more on the history of hollerin', as well as plenty of Real Audio samples for your aural pleasure.