DescentBB

So Paul Bunyan had a big blue ox named babe. He also was a lumber jack. He's also very tall and isn't real... Until today!!!


Statue of Paul B. with an axe in his right hand.
Ignore what's in his left hand.

My guess is, the story of Paul Bunyan has been told so many times that a \"blue ox\" named babe was originally a \"blue (steel) axe\" named babe. Now I'm wondering if the man was real.

Lets not loose control over our emotions, and get this moved to e&c.

Paul Bunyan was the creation of James MacGillivray
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bunyan)

BUT, he based his stories on old Lumberjack tales, and some of those were probably (very, VERY, loosely) based upon real lumberjacks and real events.

Remember, it's OK to be a lumberjack. Especially if you sleep all night and you work all day.

....Aren't you thinking oh the song \"Daniel Boone\"??

He wasn't. In the late 1800's, the US gov commissioned some guy to create folk tales for America. America is/was a young nation and didn't have much history which at the time was kinda needed to help get people back together after the civil war.

A couple of these stories you might be familiar with is Johnny Appleseed (who was indeed a real man) he wasn't all that and wasn't as cool as the stories make him out to be.

John henry is another. And of course, Paul Bunyan, which I THINK is a complete fabrication.

Duper wrote:Aren't you thinking oh the song "Daniel Boone"??

AH! That explains the title! I was mystified.

Even John Henry (one of my favorite stories!) MIGHT, and that's a mighty big might, have been based upon a real person and event. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_(folklore)

A lot of legends have a basis in fact. But after several dozen storytellers have added a bit of padding and exaggeration, the legend usually doesn't have much left in common with the fact it grew out of.

There was a statue of him near where I used to live, in Brainerd, MN. He was cool. Especially his blue ox.

I think I will draw a picture of him.

Kilarin wrote:Especially if you sleep all night and you work all day.

Put on some women's clothing, and hang around in bars.

Ferno wrote:

Kilarin wrote:Especially if you sleep all night and you work all day.

Put on some women's clothing, and hang around in bars.

personally, I like to cut down trees, skip and jump and I like to press wild flowers.

yup

You guys are just getting weird!

Octopus wrote:Paul Bunyan was a maAAAn... well... he was a dragon man....

burninating the countryside... burninating the peasants...

Duper wrote:

Ferno wrote:

Kilarin wrote:Especially if you sleep all night and you work all day.

Put on some women's clothing, and hang around in bars.

personally, I like to cut down trees, skip and jump and I like to press wild flowers.

tunnelcat wrote:You guys are just getting weird!

Ah, I gather you haven't suffered with Monty Python.

Kilarin wrote:

Duper wrote:

Ferno wrote:

Kilarin wrote:Especially if you sleep all night and you work all day.

Put on some women's clothing, and hang around in bars.

personally, I like to cut down trees, skip and jump and I like to press wild flowers.

tunnelcat wrote:You guys are just getting weird!

Ah, I gather you haven't suffered with Monty Python.

"The Lumberjack Song" - ahh, one of my Eric Idle favourites...

...along with "The Universe Song", "Isn't It Awfully Great to Have a Penis" and "Sit on my ******" of course!

tunnelcat wrote:

Sorry Tunnelcat - it's enormously juvenile I know - but I just couldn't resist (You'll discover I have a particularly mischievous sense of humour)

No offence intended

Of course it's juvenile! Those of use that were alive when that aired were barely outta grade school!

oh.. and it's British.

It doesn’t get classier than Monty Python.
Now are you the... BRAIN SPECIALIST!? My brain hurts!

Duper wrote:Of course it's juvenile! Those of use that were alive when that aired were barely outta grade school!
oh.. and it's British.

Octopus wrote:It doesn’t get classier than Monty Python.

Somehow, really juvenile humor becomes classy if you do it with a British accent.

I thought I was missing something.

I still remember the entire Dead Parrot sketch off by heart - amongst others.

(...why yes, I *was* a total dag (dork) as a teenager, why do you ask?)

Gekko71 wrote:
...along with "The Universe Song", "Isn't It Awfully Great to Have a Penis" and "Sit on my ******" of course!

and always look on the bright side of life.

Gekko71 wrote:No offence intended

None taken, just razzing you guys. Still, you have to develop a taste for British humor. I don't get it most of time.

tunnelcat wrote:you have to develop a taste for British humor. I don't get it most of time.

Monty Python is 10% of brilliance surrounded by 90% of stupidity. My wife refuses to have anything to do with it. She says that any of the actually FUNNY lines she's already heard from the rest of us.

I hope he doesn't turn into a clown and terrorize the Loser's Club.