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Heroes, Lumberjack-Giants And Monsters Of American Mythology

Heroes, Lumberjack-Giants And Monsters Of American Mythology

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The term ‘American folklore’ encompasses the stories, myths, tall tales, music, proverbs, fairy tales, demons, giants and legends that arrived on the shores of North America with the first Europeans in the 16th century. The characters and events that occur in American folklore emerged in a non-scientific New World as explanations for all the new natural phenomena the settlers observed, that affected their prolonged survival. Therefor within American folklore one finds evidence of the relationship between humans, nature and the perceived spirit world.

People working on the Salem waterfront wharf, Massachusetts, where supernatural thinking spilled into the Salem witch trials of 1692 and 1693 by Balthasar Friedrich Leizelt. (1770-) (Public Domain)

People working on the Salem waterfront wharf, Massachusetts, where supernatural thinking spilled into the Salem witch trials of 1692 and 1693 by Balthasar Friedrich Leizelt. (1770-) (Public Domain)

Superstitious Pioneers

The first American pioneers, who crossed the swampy South to settle in the West, showed steely determination as they hunted and gathered in the forests, fished the seas and rivers, fought off bears, mountain lions and wolves and lived in a state of constant insecurity about tomorrow. With no podcasts, Netlfix and YouTube, families spent evenings telling campfire tales, and it was from these flickering orange early-American scenes that the heroes of American frontier folklore emerged.

David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was a classic American folk hero, from ‘Exploring the West’ by John Gadsby Chapman (Public Domain).

David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was a classic American folk hero, from ‘Exploring the West’ by John Gadsby Chapman (Public Domain).

Tall tales about the ‘American Old West Frontier’ were often seasoned with many unbelievable elements that were recounted sincerely as being true, and American folklore, like most, is structured on exaggerations and fictionalisations of actual events. Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), the Swiss founder of analytical psychology, suggested the events and characters in world myths are archetypes arising from man’s shared collective unconscious and his research in the fields of mythology solved many problems in psychiatry, anthropology, literature, archaeology, philosophy and theological studies in the early 20th century.  Furthering Jung´s research into the archetypes of mythology American mythologist Joseph Campbell, in his 1949 book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, described the Hero´s Journey as any story where: “ a hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man

Christopher Columbus First American Folk Hero

The very founding of the United States is veiled in myths and legends that were favoured for their narrative, and many of those that supported the formation of the new American culture and belief systems have survived to this day.

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Ashley Cowie is a Scottish historian, author and documentary filmmaker presenting original perspectives on historical problems, in accessible and exciting ways. His books, articles and television shows explore lost cultures and kingdoms, ancient crafts and artifacts, symbols and architecture, myths and legends telling thought-provoking stories which together offer insights into our shared social history.  www.ashleycowie.com.

Top Image: Pocahontas saves the life of John Smith in this chromolithograph, credited to the New England Chromo. Lith. Company around (1870). (Public Domain)

By Ashley Cowie

 

Comments

Hi All,

Ah Christopher Columbus growing up in Oakland/San Francisco, California often dubbed The Bay Area, I do remember learning about Columbus and The Earth is Flat Theory followed by a pitch to Queen Isabel of Spain too Finance a Voyage to disprove this Theory ( that was in 1986).

Left out in the context of that history I studied was Columbus treatment of both African Slaves on those Ships the first strangers to America and the treatment of Indigenous Tribes upon their arrival in 1492, which explains the famous picture Homeland Security since 1492, hopefully people saw that picture.

As I've stated A World that I once considered a Myth; I no longer see it in that format thanks too Enoch & Jubilees.

After reading the Greek & Roman Stories, The Norse Stories.

British, Cornish, Irish, Scottish, Welsh stories, Italy, Spain, Portugal Stories.

Russia, Ukraine, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Serbia Stories.

Chech-Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slavic, an Siberian Stories, I'm slowly matching topics addressed by Enoch & Jubilees with these Stories of Old and this is why I see the Stories classified as myths in a brand new light.

Of course that's always been me a peculiar person visualizing other aspects of life in general.

Alright, I don't want to assume anything so I'll share this; I was astounded when I read that dwarves in some of our Ancient Ancestors Oral Stories, were actually Giant's, the height of some were equivalent too the height of the Angels off-spring in Enoch 3000 feet in Height.

My reaction was like a Wow minute for me.

Are what about a Race of Creatures that had Heads of Rams and bodies of Humans so Half/Rams, Half/Human I think called Fatomas that description makes no sense when reading about that type of Creature until you read Enoch 3 The Book of Giant's and that Titanic size creature is mentioned in The Scriptures.

I'm aware none of the Faith acknowledges any of the Books of Enoch declaring right off the Bat it's not Inspirational Truth.

Interesting because in The Epistle of Peter he mentions imprisoned Fallen Angels that are locked in Tartarus which God did not spare them of this Righteous punishment.

Tartarus is known in The Greek and Roman Stories what's it doing in The Bible if Tartarus doesn't exist?

How about Tartarus spoken of by Enoch in All 3 Book's actually Enoch 2 The Book of The Secrets of Enoch testifies He actually wrote 366, Book's; so where missing 362 more Book's.

I thought that the Creatures known as Manticores were a Myth but, I've read about them in The Book of
Revelation chapter 9:11, along with A Really Wicked Angel in Hebrew he's Abbaddon in Greek Apollyon.

An whatever King he's supposed to be I pray to God it's not on Earth.

This is my reasonings with regards to subjects about Myths and Legends and Did these things truly take place?

Well until next time Everyone, Goodbye!

ashley cowie's picture

Ashley

Ashley is a Scottish historian, author, and documentary filmmaker presenting original perspectives on historical problems in accessible and exciting ways.

He was raised in Wick, a small fishing village in the county of Caithness on the north east coast of... Read More

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