American folk tales have evolved mostly since European colonists arrived in the Americas, but also include stories that go back to the pre-colonial era. They include many different myths, legends and historical stories with various characters from animal characters in Native American myths to George Washington to Santa Claus.
Native
American Folk Tales
Native American cultures are rich in
myths and legends about various themes, especially those that explain the
natural world and the relationship between humans and the spirit world.
Native American cultures are diverse.
Though some cultures near each other have similar beliefs, others can be very
different from one another. Like most native cultures, the most common
myths are creation myths, which tell a story to explain how the earth was
formed, and where humans and other animals came from. Others may include
explanations about the Sun, Moon, stars, specific animals, seasons, and
weather. This is one of the ways that many tribes have kept their
cultures alive; these stories are told as a way of preserving and passing the nation and tribe's beliefs, history, customs,
spirituality, and traditions.
While different tribes have their own beliefs and
myths, many stories are similar. Myths about floods are almost universal
amongst Plains tribes (tribes in
the central US). There are many "hero stories" celebrating the
adventures of heroes, who do good and fight
against evil. Animal tales are also common. There are also myths where magical
beings appear in the form of animals, often as a bear, elk, eagle, owl, or
snake.
Founding
Myths
The founding of the United States is
often surrounded by national myths, legends, and tall tales. Many
stories have developed since the founding long ago to become a part of
America's folklore and culture. Non-Native American folklore especially includes any story
which has contributed to shape American culture and belief systems.
These stories have different levels of historical truth, and whether they are
true is not important.
Christopher Columbus
was a hero and symbol to early American immigrants, and is an
important figure in American myth. His status does not always show his real
achievements, but the view of the society which chose him as a hero. After
separation from England and its cultural icons, the United States was without a
history—or heroes to build a sense of their identity. The writer, Washington
Irving, helped to popularize Columbus. His version of Columbus' life was
published in 1829, and was more a romance than a biography. The book was
very popular, and contributed to an image of the explorer as a brave person who challenged the
unknown sea. It helped to give hope to early Americans who were thinking about exploring
the unknown land to the west. In the years after the Revolution, the poetic
term "Columbia" was used as a symbol of both Columbus and
America. King's College of New York changed its name in 1792 to Columbia (now
Columbia University), and the new capital in Washington was subtitled District
of Columbia.
Jamestown
and Pocahontas
In May 1607, three ships went
through Chesapeake Bay and thirty miles up the James River settlers
built Jamestown, Virginia, England's first permanent colony. They
arrived too late in the season to start farming, and many settlers
were not used to the hard work as farmers. In a few months, some settlers died because of sickness and
not enough food. Only thirty-eight settlers lived through their first year in
the New World. Captain John Smith, helped the settlers become successful traders with the Native Americans, who
taught the English how to plant corn and other food. Smith explored the regions
around Jamestown, and on one of these trips, the chief of the Powhatan Native
Americans captured Smith. In the text that Smith wrote, he was going to be
killed, but chief's daughter, Pocahontas, saved him. The legend of Pocahontas came from this
event, and has become part of American folklore,
children's books, and movies.
The
Pilgrims
Plymouth Rock is the traditional
site of the arrival of the Pilgrims who arrived on a ship called the Mayflower,
and founded Plymouth Colony in 1620. The Rock, or one traditionally
identified as it, has long been a memorial on the shore of Plymouth Harbor in
Plymouth, Massachusetts. The American holiday of Thanksgiving is often
connected with the Pilgrims. They came to American because they were not able
to freely practice their religion in England. However, they were not prepared
for living in America, and almost died of hunger after they arrived. Some friendly
Native Americans helped the Pilgrims survive through the first winter. According
to legend, they held the first Thanksgiving with their Native American neighbors
to celebrate and give thanks for surviving.
Revolutionary
War figures
George Washington
(February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the country's first president, and
is one of the most famous
Americans, as he holds the place of the father of the country. Legends about Washington's childhood include
a story that, as a young child, Washington cut down his father's cherry tree.
His angry father asked the young Washington if he cut down the tree. Washington
replied, "I cannot tell a lie" and told the truth, therefore showing his honesty.
Benjamin
Franklin (January 17, 1706– April 17, 1790)
was an American writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, and
publisher. Among the most influential intellectuals of his time,
Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States; a creator and
signer of the Declaration of Independence; and the first head of the US Post
Office. Some famous American sayings come from Franklin’s Almanac, which he
called Poor Richard’s Almanac. He began it when he was 26 and continued to
publish it yearly for 25 years, and it became very popular. Some of the most
famous sayings include the following:
God helps them that help themselves.
Early to bed and early to rise,
makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
There are no gains without pains.
Look before, or you’ll find yourself
behind.
Don’t throw stones at your
neighbors, if your own windows are glass.
When you’re good to others, you’re
best to yourself.
Wish not so much to live long as to
live well.
Patrick Henry
was an lawyer, farmer and politician who became known as a speaker during the
movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. Patrick Henry is best known
for the speech he made in 1775, in Virginia. With the people undecided on
whether to go to war against the British, Henry argued in favor of revolution.
Henry ended his speech with words that have become famous: " Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" The
people jumped up and with great excitement agreed to fight.
Betsy
Ross
Legend tells that Betsy Ross made the
first American flag. Stories of the event attracted Americans eager for stories about the revolution
and its heroes. Betsy Ross was promoted as a patriotic role model for
young girls and a symbol of
women's contributions to
American history.
Benedict
Arnold was an American-born military officer who served during the
American Revolutionary War. He fought for the American Army and rose to the level
of general before changing sides
to the British in 1780. General George Washington had given him his fullest trust
and made him the leader of West Point (a fort and now the US Army’s military
academy) in New York. Arnold was planning to give the fort to British, but the
American army found out about it, and he escaped to the British lines. His name
became synonymous with treason and betrayal in the United States.
Paul
Revere was an American silversmith, military officer and
industrialist who played a major role during the beginning of the American
Revolutionary War in Massachusetts. He rode his horse late at night in 1775 to
warn American soldiers of the coming British soldiers before the battles of
Lexington and Concord. His midnight ride became a famous story of bravery
during the war.
Tall
Tales
The tall tale is a main
element of American folk literature. The tall tale's beginnings are in the story contests that often happened
when men of the American west came
together. A tall tale is a story
with unbelievable elements, told as if it were true. Some stories are
exaggerations of actual events; others are totally untrue tales in a familiar setting, such as the American Old West,
or the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. They are usually funny or
good-natured. The line between myth and tall tale is distinguished mainly
by age; many myths exaggerate the adventures of their heroes, but in tall tales, the exaggeration appears large.
Based
on Historical Figures
John Chapman
(1774 – 1845), known as Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer farmer who
introduced apple trees to large
parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He became an American legend while still alive, largely because of his kind and
generous ways, and the symbolic importance he gave to apples.
Daniel Boone (1734-1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose achievements
made him one of the first folk heroes
of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement
of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of the Thirteen
Colonies. In 1775, Boone created the Wilderness Road into Kentucky, in the face
of resistance from American Indians, for whom the area was a traditional
hunting area. He founded one of the first English-speaking settlements
west of the Appalachian Mountains. By the end of the 18th century, more than
200,000 people had entered Kentucky by following the route marked by Boone.
Davy Crockett
(1786 – 1836) was a 19th-century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly
called in popular culture, "King of the Wild Frontier". He
represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the Texas
Revolution, and died at the Battle of the Alamo.
John Brown
(1800 – 1859) was an important leader in the American abolitionist movement (the movement to end slavery) in the years
before the Civil War. He first became famous in the 1850s for his radical
abolitionism and fighting in Kansas, Brown was captured and killed in Virginia
for attacking the town of Harpers Ferry in 1859 in order to encourage the
slaves to flight for their freedom.
Sitting Bull was leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota Indian Nation who led his
people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He
was killed by US goverment police on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation
during an attempt to arrest him at a time when authorities feared that he would
join the Ghost Dance movement.
Before the Battle of the Little
Bighorn, Sitting Bull had a vision in which he saw many soldiers,
"as thick as grasshoppers", falling upside down into the Lakota camp,
which his people took as a sign of a major victory in which many soldiers would
be killed. About three weeks later, a confederation of Indian tribes defeated the U.S.
Cavalry under General Custer in 1876, destroying Custer's army, which seemed to
fulfill Sitting Bull's vision.
Sitting Bull's leadership inspired his people to a major victory. In response,
the U.S. government sent thousands more soldiers to the area, forcing many of
the Lakota to surrender over the next year. Sitting Bull refused to surrender,
and in May 1877, he led his band north to Wood Mountain, North-West Territories
(now Saskatchewan, Canada). He stayed there until 1881, when he and most of his
band returned to U.S. territory and surrendered to U.S. forces.
After working as a performer with
Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, (one of the most famous ‘Wild West shows’, which
romanticized cowboys, Indians, and the Wild West) Sitting Bull returned to the Standing Rock Agency in South Dakota.
Because of fears that Sitting Bull
would use his influence to support the Ghost Dance movement, (a growing spiritual
movement, which prophesied an end to American expansion and a return to peace
and prosperity for Indian nations) the US government ordered his arrest. During
the struggle between Sitting Bull's
followers and the police, Sitting Bull
was killed.
Martha Jane Canary
(1852 – 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman,
and professional scout best known as an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok
(a famous frontiersman). She is said to have also shown kindness and
compassion, especially to the sick and needy.
John Henry
was an African-American railroad worker who is said to have worked as a "steel-driving
man"—a man whose task was to hammer a steel drill into rock to make holes
for explosives to remove the rock away to construct a railroad tunnel.
According to legend, John
Henry's ability as a
steel-driver was measured in a race against a steam-powered hammer, which he
won, only to die in victory with his hammer in his hand and his heart stopping from
stress. The "Ballad of John Henry" is a song of his story.
Based
on Fictional Characters
Paul Bunyan
is a lumberjack figure in North American folklore. One of the most famous and popular North American folklore heroes, he is usually
described as a giant as well as a lumberjack
of unusual skill, and is often accompanied in stories by his animal companion,
Babe the Blue Ox. The character
originated in folk tales told among
lumberjacks in the Northeastern
United States and eastern Canada, first appearing in print in a story published
by Northern Michigan journalist James MacGillivray in 1906.
The Lone Ranger is a masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with
his Native American friend Tonto.
Pecos Bill
is an American cowboy, whose adventures are made famous in many tall tales of the Old West during the
American westward expansion into the Texas and the Southwest.
When Pecos Bill is a baby, his family
travels west in a wagon, and he falls out unnoticed by the rest of his family
near the Pecos River (from where he gets his name). He is raised by a family of
coyotes. Years later he is found by his real brother, who is able to convince
him he is not a coyote.
Bill uses a rattlesnake named Shake
as a lasso and another snake as a little whip. Dynamite is said to be
his favorite food. It is also said Bill sometimes rides a cougar instead of a
horse. According to legend,
Pecos Bill is responsible for creating many landmarks. One landmark he is said
to have created is the Gulf of Mexico. Seemingly,
a drought in Texas was so horrible, that Pecos rushed to California and
used his lasso to catch a
tornado and bring it to Texas. It rained so much that the Gulf of Mexico was
created. Another story explains how he created the Rio Grande River.
Uncle Sam
(who has the same initials as United States) is a common national symbol of the
federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the
early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a expression
of patriotic emotion.
Legendary
Creatures
Bigfoot, also known
as "Sasquatch", is the name given to an ape-like creature that some
believe lives in forests in the
Pacific Northwest region, or throughout all of North America. Bigfoot is
usually described as a large,
hairy, and human-like although descriptions are different depending on location.
The height is about 6 to 10 feet tall with black, dark brown, or dark reddish
hair. There are several famous stories of people seeing Bigfoot, and sightings
are still reported. Among these reporters are often campers, hikers, explorers,
hunters, and more. There are even several websites, podcasts and organizations
related to Bigfoot.
Punxsutawney Phil
is a semi-mythical groundhog central to the most well-known Groundhog
Day ceremony, a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that states to predict
the arrival of spring. According to tradition, the same groundhog has made
predictions ever since the 1800s.
The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature said to live in the Pine Barrens, a wilderness
in the southern part of the State of New Jersey. The creature is often
described as a flying with two legs, but there are many different stories,
including a creature with the face of a horse, the head of a dog, bat-like wings,
horns, small arms with claws for hands, and red eyes. It has been reported to
move quickly, as to avoid human contact, and often is described as giving a
loud scream. The legend goes as
such: a woman named Mother Leeds gives birth to her 13th child on a dark,
stormy night. Mother Leed is said to be a witch, and for her 13th child, she
gives birth to a devil. It soon grows wings and feet like a horse, kills the
nurse, and runs away into the night.
The White Lady is a type of female ghost reportedly seen in rural areas
and associated with some local legend of tragedy. Common to many of them
is the theme of losing or being betrayed by a husband or fiancé. They are often
associated with an individual family line or said to be an omen of death.
The Mothman is a mythical
creature from the State of West Virginia, often described as a large human-like being with
shinning red eyes on its face and large
bird-like wings with fur covering its body.
Fearsome Critters were tall tales
about strange animals or creatures, like Big Foot or the Jersey Devil, jokingly
said to live in the wilderness
in or around logging camps, especially in the Great Lakes region. The character of the fearsome critters
themselves was usually more comical than frightful.
Literature
Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, or simply
"Santa", is a figure with legendary,
mythical, historical and
folkloric origins. The modern figure of Santa
Claus has its origins in Christian and European gift-giver folklore. This includes
representations of the gift-giver from Christian Church history and folklore, especially St Nicholas, combined
with the English character
Father Christmas to create the mythical
character known to the rest of the English-speaking world as "Santa Claus" (from
"Sinterklaas", Saint Nicholas, in Dutch).
"A Visit from St.
Nicholas", also known as "The Night Before Christmas" is a poem
first published in 1823 and written by Clement Clarke Moore. The poem, which
has been called the best-known verse ever written by an American, is mostly responsible for the idea of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth
century to today, including his physical appearance, the night of his visit,
his type of transportation, the number and names of his reindeer, as well as
the tradition that he brings toys to children. The poem has influenced ideas
about St. Nicholas and Santa Claus
from the United States to the rest of the English-speaking world and beyond.
The Headless Horseman is a mythical
figure that has appeared in folklore
around Europe since the Middle Ages. The figures are traditionally described as
riders on horses who are missing their heads.
In American folklore, The Headless Horseman is a character most known from the short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by
American author Washington Irving. In this story, the ghost of a soldier from
the Revolutionary war, whose head was cut off, is supposedly buried in a
churchyard in Sleepy Hollow (a real town in the state of New York). At night he
rises from his grave to search for his missing head, but is magically stopped
from crossing a wooden bridge over a nearby stream.
Rip Van Winkle
is another short story by Washington Irving, published in 1819. It follows a
Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets
mysterious Dutchmen, drinks their strange drink and falls asleep in the
Catskill Mountains of New York. He awakes 20 years later to a very changed
world after American Revolution.
Modern
American Folklore
American folklore is still occurring and evolving. Some of the topics are older stories, in which people
still believe, such as sightings of Big Foot. Many modern stories are related
to aliens and UFO abductions. Tales
of the Men in Black, secret government agents who dress in black suits and cover up UFO sightings, are an example
of this. The Area 51 legend is
another example of this. Area 51 is a real military base in state of Nevada.
According to UFO folklore, the
base holds either alien spaceships or aliens themselves, or both.
The internet has also helped create
and spread new folklore stories
like Creepyposta and the Slenderman, horror-related legends. Characters
and stories from movies like Star Wars also could be consider modern folklore.
Vocabulary
folk tales (noun phrase)
Old stories that have been passed down for a long time by people in a
particular area or culture.
Example: My grandmother used to tell me many folk tales about brave heroes
and talking animals.
evolved (verb - past tense of evolve)
Changed slowly and developed over a long period of time.
Example: Computers have evolved a lot since they were first invented.
colonist (noun)
A person who leaves their own country to go and live in a new colony (a
country or area that is ruled by another country).
Example: The first colonists arrived in America from Europe in the 17th
century.
colonization (noun)
The process when a country sends people to live in and control another
country or area.
Example: The colonization of new lands often changed the lives of the native
people.
various (adjective)
Definition: Many; different.
Example: She enjoys various types of music.
myths (noun)
Very old, traditional stories, often about gods or heroes, that help explain
something important (like nature or a custom).
Example: Ancient Greek culture is full of fascinating myths about Zeus and
other powerful gods.
legends (noun)
Stories from the past that are believed by many people but are not always
completely true; they often tell about brave people or important events.
Example: The legends of Robin Hood are very popular in England.
diverse (adjective)
Including many different types of people or things.
Example: Our class is very diverse, with students from many different countries.
spirit(noun)
A being that does not have a body and often is a ghost or magic. It can
appear and disappear.
tribes (noun)
Groups of people, often made up of related families, who live together and
share the same language, customs, and beliefs.
Example: There are many different Native American tribes, each with its own
unique traditions.
preserve (verb)
To keep something in its original state or in good condition, often for a
long time.
Example: We need to preserve old buildings so future generations can enjoy
them.
customs (noun)
Traditional ways of behaving or doing things that are common in a particular
society or group.
Example: It's a custom in some countries to take off your shoes when you
enter a house.
native
(adjective)
Belonging to a particular place by
birth, or growing naturally in that place.
Example: She is a native
speaker of Spanish, meaning it's her first language.
universal (adjective)
Something that exists everywhere or is understood by everyone.
Example: The desire for happiness is a universal human feeling.
characters (noun)
The people or animals in a story, book, or movie.
Example: My favorite characters in the film were the two detectives.
symbolically (adverb)
In a way that represents something else, often an idea or quality.
Example: The dove is used symbolically for peace.
tall tales (noun phrase)
Stories that are greatly exaggerated and unbelievable, told as if they are
true, often for humor.
Example: Pecos Bill is famous in American tall tales for his incredible
strength.
contributed (verb - past tense of contribute)
Gave something (like ideas, time, or money) to help achieve a common goal or
shared purpose.
Example: She contributed many good ideas to our team meeting.
symbol (noun)
A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially an idea or
quality.
Example: A red rose is often a symbol of love.
immigrants (noun)
People who have come to live permanently in a foreign country.
Example: The city has welcomed many immigrants from different parts of the
world.
biography (noun)
The story of a real person's life, written by someone else.
Example: I'm reading a fascinating biography of Marie Curie.
frontier (noun)
The edge of the settled part of a country, where wild or undeveloped land
begins.
Example: In the past, pioneers moved west to explore the American frontier.
colony (noun)
A country or area that is controlled by another more powerful country.
Example: India was a British colony for many years.
settlers (noun)
People who move to a new place or country and start to live there
permanently.
Example: The first settlers in this region built small wooden houses.
accustomed to (phrasal verb / adjective + preposition)
Used to something; familiar with something so it feels normal.
Example: I'm not accustomed to waking up so early on weekends.
famine (noun)
A serious situation where there is not enough food for many people, leading
to hunger and death.
Example: A long drought led to a terrible famine in the region.
disease (noun)
An illness that affects a person, animal, or plant; a problem with health.
Example: Good hygiene can help prevent the spread of disease.
proclaimed (verb - past tense of proclaim)
Definition: Announced something publicly or officially.
Example: The king proclaimed a new holiday for all the citizens.
patriotic (adjective)
Showing a strong love and support for your own country.
Example: He felt very patriotic when he saw his country's flag.
contributions (noun)
Things that you give or do to help something succeed.
Example: Her contributions to the team's success were very important.
distinction (noun)
A special honor or recognition for excellence; also, a clear difference
between things.
Example: He served in the army with great distinction, earning many medals.
treason (noun)
The crime of betraying your country, often by helping its enemies.
Example: The soldier was arrested for treason.
tall tale (noun phrase)
A story that is greatly exaggerated and unbelievable, told as if it is true, often for humor.
Example: The story of the man who outran a train was a pure tall tale.
folk literature (noun phrase)
Stories, poems, and songs that have been passed down by ordinary people in a
particular culture, rather than being written by one author.
Example: Many old folk literature pieces teach moral lessons.
largely (adverb)
Mostly; almost entirely.
Example: Her success was largely due to her hard work.
folk heroes (noun phrase)
People, real or fictional, who are admired and celebrated in the traditional
stories and songs of a particular culture.
Example: Robin Hood is a famous English folk hero.
settlement (noun)
A place where people have come to live and build homes, especially in an
area that was not previously lived in by many people.
Example: The early pioneers established a small settlement near the river.
radical (adjective)
Believing or expressing the belief that there should be great or extreme
social or political change.
Example: She had some very radical ideas about how to change the education
system.
vision (noun)
A picture in your mind, especially of something that might happen in the
future or that seems to be from a religious or supernatural experience.
He had a vision of a brighter future for his country.
spiritual (adjective)
Relating to the human spirit or soul, or to religious matters, rather than
to physical things.
Example: Many people find comfort in spiritual practices.
scout (noun)
A person who is sent out to gather information, especially about an area or
an enemy.
Example: The scout went ahead to check if the path was clear.
lumberjack (noun)
A person whose job is to cut down trees, especially in a forest.
Example: The lumberjack used a large saw to fell the tree.
outlaw (noun)
A criminal, especially one who is trying to avoid being caught by the law.
The sheriff chased the outlaw across the desert.
lasso (noun)
A rope with a loop at one end, used especially by cowboys for catching
horses and cattle.
Example: The cowboy swung his lasso over his head.
drought (noun)
A long period when there is little or no rain, causing shortages of water.
Example: The farmers lost their crops because of the severe drought.
legendary (adjective)
Very famous and often mentioned in stories or myths for a long time.
Example: King Arthur is a legendary figure in English history.
superstition (noun)
A belief or practice based on magic or luck rather than on scientific fact or reason.
Example: Breaking a mirror is considered bad luck by some people – it's a
superstition.
fearsome critters (noun phrase)
Imaginary, often funny, animals from American folklore, often said to live in
wild areas where lumberjacks worked.
Example: The fearsome critters in the stories were more silly than scary.
Santa Claus (proper noun)
A mythical figure believed to bring gifts to children at Christmas.
Example: Children often write letters to Santa Claus before Christmas.
mythical (adjective)
Existing only in myths or imaginary stories; not real.
Example: Unicorns are mythical creatures that do not exist.
abductions (noun)
The act of taking someone away illegally by force or deception; often used
in the context of aliens taking people.
Example: There are many stories about alien abductions.
tales (noun)
Stories, especially imaginary or historical ones.
Example: She loves reading fairy tales before bed.
cover up
to hide something
