THE LEGEND OF PAUL BUNYAN AND THE BLUE OX

Definition according to Wipipedia:
Paul Bunyan is a mythological lumberjack who is usually described as a giant as well as a lumberjack of unusual skill. The character was first documented in the work of U.S. journalist James McGillivray in 12910. In 1916, as part of an advertising campaign, advertisement writer William Laughead reworked the old logging tales into that of a giant lumberjack and gave birth to the modern Paul Bunyan a folklore character.

Paul Bunyan statue in Bangor, Maine

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statue in Bemidji, Minnesota

History
Apparently, French-Canadians originated the tales during the Papineau Rebellion of 1837, which is when they revolted against the young English queen This possibly explains Paul Bunyan’s last name. Boyenne is a colloquial French-Canadian expression which means “Good Grief” or “My Goodness.”

The Legend
At the mouth of the river in the Two Mountains area near Saint-Eustache, Quebec, loggers battled against the British. Among them was a bearded giant named Paul Bo0njean, his nickname – Bonyenne.

Another legend is that of a man living in Ottawa Valley (an actual person). His name – Big Joe Mufferaw or Joe Montferrand, Defender of the people.

The name was eventually Anglicised and the stories changed from generation to generation. Historians later say that the idea of Paul Bunyan with a blue ox was created in the twentieth century.

According to Wikipedia:
“Although it is claimed in some sources that ‘there is no…evidence of any Paul Bunyan story being told before…McGillivray’s story, The Round River Drive, published in 1910, ‘McGillivray had published some stories in the Oscoda, Michigan Press on August 10, 1906, and Governor of Michigan Jennifer M. Granholm proclaimed the centennial of that date as ‘Paul Bunyan Day.’

Bunyan and the Blue Ox
McGillivray’s story doesn’t portray Bunyan as a giant, nor is there mention of an ox. However, J. E. Rockwell, who wrote tales of Bunyan, referred to the blue ox in the February1910issue of The Outer’s Book. One tale indicates Bunyan to be eight feet tall and weighing three hundred pounds.

A historian, Carlton C. Ames, claimed (in 1940) that Bunyan was an invention of the twentieth century and not a nineteenth century folk hero. But William Laughead took the stories and reworked them into the modern character and sold the character to the Red River Lumber Company.

The Myths
According to Wikipedia, “Bunyan's birth was somewhat unusual, as are the births of many mythic heroes, as it took five storks to carry the infant (ordinarily, one stork could carry several babies and drop them off at their parents' homes). When he was old enough to clap and laugh, the vibration broke every window in the house. When he was seven months old, he sawed the legs off his parents' bed in the middle of the night.[11] Paul and Babe the Blue Ox, his companion, dug the Grand Canyon when he dragged his axe behind him. He created Mount Hood by piling rocks on top of his campfire to put it out.

Babe the Blue Ox, Bunyan's companion, was a massive creature with exceptional strength.[12] Most imagery of Bunyan shows Babe the Blue Ox as being of proportionate size (meaning massive compared to everything else). Among other subjects, a myth about the formation of Great Lakes was centered around Babe: Paul Bunyan needed to create a watering hole large enough for Babe to drink from.[8] There are also stories telling that the 10,000 Lakes of Minnesota were formed from the footprints of Paul and Babe while they wandered blindly in a deep blizzard. Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett were said to give Babe to Paul Bunyan, because they were all "woodsey" pioneer types. Paul Bunyan has dozens of towns vying to be considered his home. Several authors, including James Stevens and D. Laurence Rogers, have traced the tales to the exploits of French-Canadian lumberjack Fabian "Saginaw Joe" Fournier, 1845–1875. Fournier worked for the H. M. Loud Company in the Grayling, Michigan area, 1865–1875, where MacGillivray later worked and apparently picked up the stories.”

Statues
Bunyan and the Blue Ox in Bemidji, Minnesota – part of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Bangor, Maine, Rumford, Maine, Westwood, California, Del Norte County, California, St. Ignace, Michigan, Ossineke, Michigan, Enchanted Forest Water Safari, N.Y., and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dells and Minocqua, Wisconsin.

There are many more statues and parks devoted to Paul Bunyan and he continues to be the subject of advertisements. This summer, Minnesota Twins Baseball player, Jim Thome, played the role of Bunyan, together with the blue ox, with two other players commenting.

I found this history of Paul Bunyan interesting and would be interested in knowing how any of you would use Paul Bunyan as a hero in a romance or adventure novel.

Joan K. Maze
Writing as J. K. Maze
www.joanmaze.com
http://sleuthingwithmollie.wordpress.com
http://homicideandmayhem.wordpress.com

Murder By Mistake, book 1 in the Mollie Fenwick Mystery Series, available from Red Rose Publishing, B&N, Fictionwise and Amazon
Murder For Kicks, book 2 in the Mollie Fenwick Mystery Series, available from Red Rose Publishing, Fictionwise and Amazon
Framed In Fear, romantic suspense set in Colorado, available from Red Rose Publishing, Fictionwise and Amazon
Murder By Spook, book 3 in the Mollie Fenwick Mystery Series, in progress

GHOST SHIPS OF THE GREAT LAKES: THE EDMUND FITZGERALD

by Joan K. Maze

When searching for another legend to write about, I found an article about Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes, which captured my interest, one of the most famous being The Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975.

The Fitzgerald cleared Superior, Wisconsin on November 9, 1975 with a cargo of 26,116 tons of taconite pellets destined for Detroit. In company with Arthur M. Anderson of the United States Steel Corporation’s Great Lakes Fleet, the ship encountered heavy weather and flounder.

The captain, McSorley, reported he was having difficulty, was taking on water and listing. Two of three ballast pumps were working, she lost radar, and he was heard on the radio, saying, “don’t allow nobody (sic) on deck.” He also said it was the worst storm he’d ever seen.

All 29 crew, along with a Great Lakes Maritime cadet, perished, and the ship lies in two sections in 530 feet of water.

According to records, the National Transportation Safety Board voted, unanimously, to reject the Coast Guard’s official report, which supported the theory of faulty hatches. The NTSB claimed it was due to taking on water through hatch covers damaged by heavy seas.

The Lake Carriers Association disagrees with this and blames it on ballast tank damage, whiled the Coast Guard cites faulty hatch covers and lack of water tight cargo hold bulkheads, damage caused from an undetermined source.

The legend of the Fitzgerald has lived on in song as well as many sightings of the ship still sailing the Great Lakes to this day. …in 1985 a commercial vessel is recorded to have seen the Fitzgerald.

The stories of ill-fated ships stirs the imagination. Think of the tragic figures that you could write about in about in a novel: a wife waiting for the return of her captain husband, a young woman tracing her roots and discovering her father went down on a “ghost ship” such as the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Perhaps she catches a glimpse of a man at the helm of a ship that disappears right before her eyes.

The prospects are endless. They sure have captured my imagination.

I’d love to know if any of you have written, or plan to write a book because of unexpected research.

The Witch Tree

by Joan K. Maze

I was in the middle of doing research for my WIP, Widow’s Walk, which takes place in the Northern Minnesota area near and around the Grand Portage Reservation. The photo of a twisted tree, set upon the rocks above Lake Superior caught my eye. This tree, known as the Witch Tree, has an interesting history, which includes legends.

Clinging to the rocks ten feet above the churning water of Lake Superior is the Witch Tree. Called Manidoo-giizhikens, or Little Cedar Spirit Tree by the Ojibwe Indian tribe, the tree is an ancient Thuja occidentalis.

The first written records by Europeans were by the French explorer, Sieur de la Verendyre in 1731. He said it was a mature tree then and claimed it to be at least three hundred years old.
This single white cedar is located on the east side of Hat Point on the Sibley Peninsula. The trunk is twisted like a corkscrew and the green scale-like leaves are few. Many have wondered how the tree could remain alive with no soil under it and its roots on rock. It is because of this precarious position that it is considered a powerful spirit.

Legends

Considered sacred, the Ojibwe traditionally leave tobacco to ensure a safe journey. The Cree and Ojibwe have both used this tree for offerings and consider it a Manitou or Spirit Tree. One legend is of the manitou Manboujou who wears the cedar tree on his head with the roots bound around his body. It is also considered to be the Tree of Life.

Another legend is that of an evil spirit in the form of a bird who would plunge from the top of the tree and swamp canoes.

Today, the Ojibwe tribe of the Grand Portage Reservation own the tree and surrounding land. Because of the tree's sacred nature and recent vandalism, admittance to the area is not possible without the presence of an Ojibwe member. You can pass beneath it in a canoe or kayak. Many boaters leave offerings at its base, to appease or as a gesture toward cultural tradition.

Originally, the Witch Tree had no part in my story. However, this tree and the stories behind it have intrigued me to the point that I know I must include it in Widow’s Walk. The last half of Widow’s Walk is in the past, before 1850 (I haven’t decided the date yet), and will have many scenes at the Reservation. As I continue outlining and working on this story, I hope to come up with an interesting and intriguing legend/story to make this book more exciting.

I would love to hear of any similar experiences any of you have had while doing research.

Joan K. Maze
Writing as J. K. Maze
www.joanmaze.com 

Murder By Mistake, book 1 in the Mollie Fenwick Mystery Series, available from Red Rose Publishing
Murder For Kicks, book 2 in the Mollie Fenwick Mystery Series, available from Red Rose Publishing
Framed In Fear, romantic suspense set in Colorado, available from Red Rose Publishing
Murder By Spook, book 3 in the Mollie Fenwick Mystery Series, in progress
Murder By Mistake, book 1 in the Mollie Fenwick Mystery Series – paperback due out soon