Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox
Most
of us have heard of Paul Bunyan from our childhoods. There was that delightful
Disney movie about the giant lumberjack and Babe his blue ox and how they made
the Rocky Mountains when they wrestled with each other one day. Just like a
baseball player sliding into home base, they slide and pushed until they kicked
up some dirt. That dirt piled up until they created those big ol’ mountains from
their play. It was said one drag of the mighty lumberjack’s massive ax created
the Grand Canyon, while the giant footprints of his trusty companion, Babe the
Blue Ox, filled with water and became Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes.
But
here is my question: was Paul Bunyan an exaggerated version of some real man
that grew into a legend, or was Paul just a myth someone made up in their head
and told often enough around the loggers’ campfires to imprint in the minds of
others. He certainly makes for good story telling especially after a hard day’s
work.Let’s
just start at the beginning of this imaginative story. Legend has it that Paul
Bunyan was delivered to his parents in Bangor, Maine by five storks (since he
was already too big for one stork to handle). At some point he traveled to the
west into Minnesota, Wisconsin, and beyond accompanied by his gigantic companion,
Babe, the blue ox. All along the way they had fantastic adventures, made some
mountains and created some lakes among other things. Pretty unbelievable I
would say.
However,
some historians believe Bunyan may have been an actual lumberjack named Fabian
Fournier, a French-Canadian timberman who moved south and got a job as foreman
of a logging crew in Michigan after the Civil War. At a time when most men were
barely five feet tall, Fournier had a six foot frame with huge hands. Fournier
went by the nickname “Saginaw Joe.” It was believed he had two complete sets of
teeth, which he used to bite off hunks of wooden rails, and in his spare time
enjoyed drinking and brawling. One November night in 1875, Fournier was
murdered in a notoriously rowdy lumber town of Bay City, Michigan. His death,
and the sensational trial of his alleged killer (who was acquitted), fueled
tales of Saginaw Joe’s rough-and-tumble life—and his lumbering prowess—in
logging camps in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and many others.
The Statues of Paul Bunyan & Babe, the blue ox, in Bemidji, Minnesota
Over
time, Fournier’s legend merged with that of another French-Canadian lumberman,
Bon Jean. Jean had played a prominent role in the Papineau Rebellion of 1837,
when loggers and other working men in St. Eustache, Canada, revolted against
the British regime of the newly crowned Queen Victoria. The French
pronunciation of Jean’s full name is believed to have evolved into the surname
Bunyan.
Like
any gathering of fishermen or hunters, the stories grew a little with each
retelling. A mythical logging camp was created for Paul as well as a host of
loggers to work in the camp. Paul became an inventor, an orator and even a
diplomat, all rolled into one. It seemed the more impossible the job became,
the more it became a job for Paul Bunyan—the logger who could do it all!
By
the late 1880's and early 1890's, the Paul Bunyan Tales had spread to most of
the logging camps in North America. Paul had finally reached legendary status,
at least in the logging camps. Yet among the general public, Paul Bunyan was
almost unheard of.
The
first Paul Bunyan story, “Round River,” made it into print in 1906, penned by
journalist James MacGillivray for a local newspaper in Oscoda, Michigan. In
1912, MacGillivray collaborated with a poet on a Bunyan-themed poem for
American Lumberman magazine, earning Paul Bunyan his first national exposure.
Two years later, an ad campaign for Minnesota’s Red River Lumber Company
featured the first illustrations of the larger-than-life lumberjack. Combined
with pamphlets spinning the tales of his exploits, his prominent appearance as
Red River’s mascot would help turn Paul Bunyan into a household name—and an
enduring American icon.
Disney's Paul Bunyan and Babe
Walt
Disney further heightened Paul Bunyan’s fame when he made the animated movie
about him back when I was a child. Even now, there is a statue of Paul Bunyan
and Babe, the blue ox that stands in Bemidji, Minnesota built in 1937. When my
sister did a travel nurse assignment there some years ago, she brought back
gifts she bought there. My gift was Christmas ornaments of Paul and Babe.
Whether
Paul Bunyan was real or not, I think it’s wonderful to have these legendary
characters from our culture who can perform fantastic feats with bravery and
kindness.
Sarah
J. McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres
including time travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a
retired ER and Critical Care nurse who lives in North Carolina with her
four-legged children, Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides
her devotion to writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several
instruments including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and
short stories may be found at Prairie Rose Publications and its imprints Painted
Pony Books, and Fire Star Press. Some of her fantasy and paranormal books may
also be found at Publishing by Rebecca Vickery and Victory Tales
Press. She welcomes you to her website and social media:
The beast is painted in bright combinations of color, but always with a fierce glare. The town's water tower has 'Hodag' printed on it. Vacationers can buy t-shirts with Hodag printed on it. I found a statue at the YMCA and was able to get a photo of it. During fair time the butcher shop even had 'Hodag' sausages - quite hot and spicy.
My favorite sighting came this past Christmas season. Someone cut Santa and his sleigh out of plywood and painted it. They made one slight change - instead of the reindeer they had Hodags pulling the sleigh. Unfortunately, it was not in a place where we could take a photo of it. I imagine it must have delighted everyone who noticed it on the lawn of a person with a great imagination.
There are a couple of other folkloric characters who supposedly live in Wisconsin's Northwoods. Paul Bunyan's exploits revolved around tall tales of his superhuman labors. The character originated in the oral tradition of North American loggers. Customarily, he was accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox.
Whether these folktales do harm or in fun way can give people a reason why situations occur, I like them.
