We hardly ever hear about them anymore. They are here and these unique tales are reminding us of the time of our early American Ancestors.
America is a country rich in history. With the integration of so many different cultures we have a tendency to over look some of the ideas and stories that are unique to us. A culture's folklore is a way to pass on ideas and values on to the next generation. Folk tales are made appealing by the addition of talking animals (Brer Rabbit) and unusual people (Paul Bunyan).
Many of the American folktales come from the time in our history when the country was being settled. There is the story of Paul Bunyan, the extremely large baby that grew into a man traveling around from place to place cutting down trees and making room for progress. Pecos Bill, a beloved cowboy who was raised by coyotes. These stories were told around campfires as a means of entertainment, to keep minds off of the harshness of their reality. Hence these stories had to be very clear. You can tell exactly who the main characters are, they are precise, and there is humor and action. Many folktales are an exaggeration of events. For example the story of George Washington chopping down a cherry tree. Since when do you know a politician who doesn't tell a lie? Or even the story of Paul Bunyan. A giant of a baby (literally) who grew up to be a lumberjack who accomplished quite a bit.
As with many traditions in America, immigrants coming here bring the stories with them and then over time these stories change into something that is unique to the United States. It is possible that the Paul Bunyan story came from France through the loggers that worked in the French-Canadian or northern Ontario region. Another example of this is the Brer Rabbit stories. For those of you unfamiliar with these you can look at the Disney Movie "the Song of the South" It is believed that the mischievous Brer Rabbit is based up mythology characters from Africa who created chaos or trouble. Later we will look at these characters in more detail.
These stories are unique to our heritage and should be preserved for future generations. It is possible with all of our technology and computer games that we forget these wonderful tales that represent time gone by.
