How well do you know your folklore heroes? Part 4: Paul Bunyan

He's sixty three axe handles high/With his feet on the ground and his head in the sky/Hey, Paul/Paul Bunyan! ~"The Ballad of Paul Bunyan," Paul Bunyan (1958)

When I first got the idea for doing a series of blog entries like this, Paul Bunyan was one of the first folkloric characters that came to mind. Who hasn't heard of the humongous loggerman and his gigantic blue ox? There have been many stories, movies, and monuments made in the name of Paul Bunyan since he originated in the 19th century (apparently from lumber camp tales). The Walt Disney version from 1958 is especially cute, claiming that Babe and Paul formed the Land of 10,000 Lakes (a nickname for Minnesota) by making tracks that filled with water, built Pikes Peak so they could look the country over "and see what else to do." Since my own image of Paul Bunyan was well established (red-checked shirt, blue jeans, dark brown beard but no mustache, ax, ox), I was hoping for a lot of conformity and uniformity in the answers of the family members I interviewed. However, they had a few surprises for me...

What does he look like?

Dad: He's in his 20s. He's a giant. I think he has an ax. He's hyper-masculine, but not really handsome; unshaven, spitting tobacco. He had a pet bull.
Mom: He's in his 20s, or early 30s. He's cleanshaven, very muscular, with dark hair, big toothy grin, like Elvis. He carries a big ax.
Sarah: I think he's 35. He has dark hair and a light beard. He wears a red-checked shirt, blue jearns with suspenders, a cowboy hat, and he carries an ax.
Hannah: He's in his 40s. Very tall. He has an ax and an ox - Babe the Blue Ox.

After some Google Imaging, I have concluded that the issue of Paul Bunyan's facial hair is not easily solved. There are many of that which I consider the "classic" type, which is shown in the picture above. Here's a cute one of him looking like a garden gnome. Also note that Babe looks like a cross between a cuddly lamb and a loyal hound dog.

And another one - cleanshaven/teenager Paul!

Why is he famous?

Dad: He does impossible feats. He's like the American Hercules. He cut a lot of wood.

Mom: He was a lumberjack. I think he was from the Northwest - Oregon, Washington. He supposedly made the Grand Canyon. The land is supposed to look the way it does because of him - he made mountains and valleys.

Sarah: He had a blue bull. He saved people and cleared a lot of land.

Hannah: He chopped down trees and was an exceptional logger.

Was he real?

Dad: He's not real.

Mom: He's not a real person.

Sarah: I don't think so.

Hannah: I don't know. The tall tales aren't real, so...no.

And now for the facts! Paul Bunyan is a fictional, legendary figure, said to be born and raised in Maine in the 19th century, although he is often associated with towns in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. There are many stories told about his unsurpassed skill as a lumberjack, as well as about the ways he formed areas like the Grand Teutons, the Missouri River, and the Great Lakes area. Babe the Blue Ox (note that ox = male bovine) is Paul Bunyan's fictional companion, whom he found nearly frozen one day, and subsequently managed to save (though the blue color never went away). I wasn't able to find any stories about the death of Paul Bunyan; the Disney short film claims he and Babe are in Alaska making the Northern Lights shimmer and flash with all their rough-housing. It would seem to be a likely spot, considering all the available pine trees for Paul to chop down and comb his beard with.