folklore of the United States

The tradition & historical record

Folklore of the United States encompasses the myths, legends, tall tales, oral traditions, music, customs, and cultural expressions that have developed within the United States over centuries. It reflects the diverse origins of the nation's people, drawing from Native American traditions, European settler narratives, African American storytelling, and the folklore of immigrant communities from Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere. American folklore includes iconic figures such as Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed, regional creatures like Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil; and urban legends that persist into the digital age. It also incorporates folk music, superstitions, ghost stories, and festival traditions that vary across regions and populations. U.S. folklore continues to evolve alongside changing technologies, social structures, and cultural identities, reflecting both shared and conflicting historical perspectives. ¹

Native American cultures are rich in myths and legends that explain natural phenomena and the relationship between humans and the spirit world. According to Barre Toelken, feathers, beadwork, dance steps, music, the events in a story, the shape of a dwelling, or items of traditional food can be viewed as icons of cultural meaning. Native American cultures are numerous and diverse. Though some neighboring cultures hold similar beliefs, others can be quite different from one another. The most common myths are the creation myths, which tell a story to explain how the earth was formed and where humans and other beings came from. Others may include explanations about the Sun, Moon, constellations, specific animals, seasons, and weather. This is one of the ways that many tribes have kept, and continue to keep, their cultures alive; these stories are told as a way of preserving and transmitting the nation, tribe, or band's particular beliefs, history, customs, spirituality, and traditional way of life. According to Barre Toelken, "Stories not only entertain but also embody Native behavioral and ethical values." Although individual tribes have their own sacred beliefs and myths, many stories have much in common. Myths about floods are almost universal amongst Plains tribes, usually ending with the restoration of the submerged earth. There are many "hero stories" immortalising the adventures of heroes with supernatural powers, who right wrongs and defeat evils. Animal tales are common, some explaining how features of certain animals occurred, some using animal characters for narration, and others using animals symbolically. There are also myths where supernatural beings appear in the form of animals, with the bear, elk, eagle, owl, and snake frequently referred to." ¹

The founding of the United States is often surrounded by national myths, legends, and tall tales. Many stories have developed since the founding long ago to become a part of America's folklore and cultural awareness, and non-Native American folklore especially includes any narrative which has contributed to the shaping of American culture and belief systems. These narratives have varying levels of historical accuracy; the veracity of the stories is not a determining factor. ¹

Christopher Columbus is an important figure in the body of American myth. His status, not unlike that of most American icons, is representative not of his accomplishments, but of the self-perception of the society that chose him as a hero. Having severed its ties with England and its cultural icons, the young United States was left without a history or heroes on which to base a shared sense of its social identity. Washington Irving was instrumental in popularizing Columbus. His version of Columbus' life, published in 1829, was more a romance than a biography. The book was very popular, and contributed to an image of the mariner as a solitary individual who challenged the unknown sea, as triumphant Americans contemplated the dangers and promise of their own wilderness frontier. As a consequence of his vision and audacity, there was now a land free from kings, a vast continent for new beginnings. In reality, Columbus never stepped foot in the land that would become the United States of America. Despite this fact, early American history books and biographies like those authored by Irving and George Bancroft painted Columbus as a noble explorer guided by God to reach the New World. Historian Jeremy Belknap argued that Columbus was a brilliant navigator who fully understood his discovery and was unappreciated by the monarchs. The idea that this was a preordained event later led the Christian settlers to believe that it was their purpose to colonize the North American continent, while the view of Columbus as a genius dependent on monarchical good will turned him into a lauded revolutionary figure. In the years following the Revolution, the poetic device "Columbia" was used as a symbol of both Columbus and America. ¹

In May 1607, the Susan Constant, the Discovery, and the Godspeed sailed through Chesapeake Bay and thirty miles up the James River settlers built Jamestown, Virginia, England's first permanent colony. Too late in the season to plant crops, many were not accustomed to manual labor. Within a few months, some settlers died of famine and disease. Only thirty-eight made it through their first year in the New World. The winter of 1609-1610 was known as the "Starving Time." Due to an extreme drought, hostile relations with the Powhatan Confederacy, and the loss of a supply ship, the people of Jamestown were left with nothing to eat. The settlers were forced to eat their horses, cats, dogs, and boot leather. In 2013, the first direct evidence was found of cannibalism within Jamestown. Captain John Smith, a pirate turned gentleman, turned the settlers into foragers and successful traders with the Native Americans, who taught the English how to plant corn and other crops. Smith led expeditions to explore the regions surrounding Jamestown, and it was during one of these that the Powhatan Confederacy captured Smith. According to an account Smith published in 1624, he was going to be put to death until the chief's daughter, Pocahontas, saved him. From this, the legend of Pocahontas sprang forth, becoming part of American folklore, children's books, and movies. ¹

Plymouth Rock is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620, and an important symbol in American history. There are no contemporary references to the Pilgrims' landing on a rock at Plymouth. The first written reference to the Pilgrims landing on a rock is found 121 years after they landed. The Rock, or one traditionally identified as it, has long been memorialized on the shore of Plymouth Harbor in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The holiday of Thanksgiving is said to have begun with the Pilgrims in 1621. They had come to America to escape religious persecution, but then nearly starved to death. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Folklore of the United States”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

folklore of the United States is overview of the folklore of the United States, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 7 external registers, which can be verified through the citation. ²