How well do you know your folklore heroes? Part 1: Davy Crockett

"You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas." ~Davy Crockett

In our folklore class, we have been studying folk narratives, which includes, among practically every story and joke ever passed around, those many tall tales surrounding well known characters in American folklore. Our teacher mentioned that most people automatically assume in an American folklore class we will be sitting around a campfire, telling tall tales about monumental figures like Davy Crockett or Johnny Appleseed. I laughed with the rest of the class, but secretly I felt it seemed a little sad and even pathetic that we are so far from the days where we could pick up tales from our rocking-chair grandmothers that we have to google or wikipedia "Paul Bunyan" to get a full sense of what everyone considers to be bona fide American folklore. Then I started thinking about what we really do know about our stereotypical folklore legends without being prompted to study, and I was curious if what we actually remember is truth or fiction, and whether it corresponds with the memories of other people around us.

I gave a simple survey on six folklore characters to my dad, mom, and two younger sisters. I asked them 1) to describes what he looks like, 2) why he was famous, and 3) if he was real. Here are the results!

Davy Crockett

What does he look like?

Dad: Like Fess Parker. Late 20s, early 30s. Rough clothing. Rifle.
Mom: Tall. Athletic. Good sense of humor. Twinkle in his eye. Straight hair. Excellent shot. Rifle. 30s.
Sarah: Coonskin cap. Young - 20s. Smart aleck. Carried a gun.
Hannah: Musket. Coonskin cap. Leather clothes, made of deerskin or something. 30s, 40s.

Why is he famous?

Dad: Early frontiersman. Tennessee legislature. Went to Texas. Was killed in Alamo.
Mom: "Sheriff" in Tennessee. Kept law and order. Elected to Congress. Killed a bear when he was 3.
Sarah: Trapper in Tennessee. Guide.
Hannah: Found the wilderness trail through Cumberland Gap, maybe. Fought a giant panther. Something to do with Indians.

Was he real?

All: Yes.

And now for the truth. Davy Crockett was a real person. He was born August 17, 1786 and died at the Alamo in March, 1836, at the age of 49. He opposed President Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act. He helped Texas win independence from Mexico. He was reportedly a good shot. He was a member of the TN legislature and also served in three U.S. congresses. Icons associated with Davy Crocketts are the coonskin cap (although it is not known for sure if he wore one), his rifle "Betsy," and his tomahawk, or hatchet. There are no reports of him killing a bear or fighting a giant panther. Also, he preferred "David" to "Davy."