Myths+and+Folklore+On+the+Westward+Trail

1. My topic is on the myths and folklore created on the Western Trails in the mid ninteenth century

2. **__What I already know Who?__** I know some of the characters in the myths but I'm not sure about the authors
 * __What?__** Wild West myths were created to tell stories of the West and warn people of the difficulties they would face
 * __Where?__** Tall Tales were told all over Western America
 * __When?__** In the mid 1800's
 * __Why?__** Some were made to warn children about dangerous things on the trail, and some were created to enterain and/or explain how landforms or other natural creations were created
 * __How?__** I don't really know how to explain it, but the myths would set up like stories and it would help people relate to day to day lives

3. **__What I want to know (research questions) Who?__** Who came up the ideas for myths, and how did they make the stories?
 * __What?__** What kind of myths are out there explaining different things?
 * __Where?__** Where did some of the stories and myths originate?
 * __When?__** When did the idea start to use stories and myths?
 * __Why?__** Was it to help explain to children how dangerous something was?
 * __How?__** How did it affect pioneers and their prior knowledge?

__**How did the stories and tall tales have an impact on the pioneer's lives or knowledge?**__ I'm not sure yet, but I think it helped the people on knowing what things to eat or not to eat, and helped them learn about their outside surroundings.

4. **__My research strategy:__ __Who?__** I'll ask Ms. Horn or Mrs.Brem about where to find resources and other research material.
 * __What?__** Expert websites, books, databases, dictionaries, and textbooks
 * __When?__** During class or outside if needed
 * __Where?__** THe CTMS public library or any online resources
 * __How?__** Using my thesis statement and research questions, I'll find out what material and topics I'll need
 * __Key words for searching__**: "myths on oregon trail", "19th century folklore", "wild west tall tales", "tall tales", "paul bunyan", "children stories on the western trails"

During the mid Nineteenth Century, many new inventions and inner creativity were discovered, making way for new artistic possibilities, such as storytelling. Tall Tales and Folklore during Westward Expansion influenced people's beliefs and imagination by providing exciting stories behind unexplained occurrences and life lessons.
 * __Draft__**

One key part to any story is the hero of the tale. In almost every tall tale, you'll find that the main character always has something special about them. In __Paul Bunyan__, Paul was a giant, towering above treetops. When he swung his axe, Paul would yell, "TIMBER!", and cut down ten great pines in one swing. In the story of __Pecos Bill__, right off the top of the story the author said that Pecos was made of something special. "He started talkin' before he was a month old, did his teething on his Pa's bowie knife and rode his first horse jest as soon as he learned to sit up on his own."(Various Authors) The main character of the story doesn't even have to be a person at all. In the tale, __The Crystal Mountain__, the main attraction of the story is the strange mountain itself! It is a mountain in Wyoming made of pure transparent crystal, and because of birds flying into the 'invisible' mountain; their corpses show the circumference of the base, which is about 3 miles around. The reason for these larger than life characters is most likely to make the folk tale more exciting and ironically easier to believe.

Another major part to Nineteenth Century stories is the influences that each tale has. Mostly important influencing topics occur in children stories. "Now Rabbit had a favorite place on the river where he always went to drink water. It was on a bend in the river, and two Snakes lived there, one on the upper side of the bend and one on the lower. Rabbit soon learned that neither of the Snakes knew that the other Snake lived there. Ho, ho, ho, thought Rabbit. I am going to have a bit of fun!"(Mary Pope Osbourne) In this story, the hero, Brer Rabbit, tries to trick both snakes into thinking that a ghost lives in homes. It ends with Brer Rabbit getting caught, and having to apologize to both snakes. Stories like this would entertain children while teaching them valuable life lessons. Tall Tales also influenced adults as well. In __Bigfoot Wallace__, it says the best place to make money was Austin, Texas, and that every sane man should move there. This was created during the time where Texas just won their independence from Mexico, and it was open to white settlers from America. __Bigfoot Wallace__ also has some discriminatory influences in it. The villain in the story is a bloodthirsty Waco warrior who is over six foot eight. Many influences like this fueled some prejudice during this era.

What I find most interesting about Tall Tales is some of the strange origins and authors. Clay Allison was a very colorful person. Not only did he write tall tales about HIMSELF, he was also a terror in his town. Allison was a drunk, and loved to go about on Main Street and shoot random windows in buildings. It was only fit that he died in a duel during a drunken spell. His tales range about the character Clay Allison and his shooting adventures in his town. Not much creativity was needed. Some stories descended from familiar fairytales, like __Jack and the Cornstalk.__ Like the fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack climbs atop an ever growing cornstalk and gets stuck on the way to the top. Another is __Bloody Mary__, but in this tale it's a witch living in a forest feeding off young girls' youth. Still, the same rules to 'summon' her spirit apply. There are many other strange and familiar origins that revolve around folklore.

Myths and nineteenth century folklore have circulated around the entire country and influenced many people's lives during the mid eighteen hundreds. Exciting tall tales during the Westward Expansion helped shape settler's imagination, beliefs, and perception on strange happenings and everyday life lessons.

code code Works Cited code Allison, Clay. "Clay Allison." //Student Resource Center Junior//. Gale, 2003. Web. 26 Mar. 2010. code code . code code Authors, Various. "Animated Tall Tales." //Animatedtalltales.com//. Kidoons Network, 2010. Web. 29 Mar. code code 2010. . code code - - -. "Tall Tales, Folklore Stories, and American Folktales." //Americanfolklore.net//. N.p., 29 Apr. code code 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. . code code Goode, Diane. //The Diane Goode Book of American Folk Tales and Songs//. New York CIty: Ann Durell, code code 1989. Print. code code Osborne, Mary Pope. //American Tall Tales//. New York City: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991. Print. code