Statues of tall tale characters Paul Bunyan and Babe

A tall tale is a story that claims to explain the reason for some natural phenomenon, or sometimes illustrates how skilled/intelligent/powerful the subject of the tale was. In either case, the tall tale is fictional and usually obviously so. It can, however, be based on a real figure in history. Image File history File links Paul_Bunyan_and_Babe_statues_Bemidji_Minnesota_crop. ... Image File history File links Paul_Bunyan_and_Babe_statues_Bemidji_Minnesota_crop. ...

The tall tale is a fundamental element of American folk literature. The tall tale's origins are seen in the bragging contests that often occurred when the rough men of the American frontier gathered. The tales of legendary figures of the American Old West—such as Pecos Bill and the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan—owe much to the style of tall tales. The folklore of the United States, or American folklore, is one of the folk traditions which has evolved on the North American continent since Europeans arrived in the 16th century. ... In the United States and Canada the frontier was the term applied until the end of the 19th century to the zone of unsettled land outside the region of existing settlements of European immigrants and their descendants. ... The cowboy, the quintessential symbol of the American Old West, circa 1887. ... Walt Disneys Pecos Bill atop Widowmaker Pecos Bill is a legendary American cowboy, apocryphally immortalized in numerous tall tales of the Old West during American westward expansion into the Southeast of Texas, New Mexico and Arizon. ... Lumberjacks in Oregon, c. ... Paul and Babe in Bemidji, Minnesota Paul Bunyan is a mythical lumberjack in tall tales. ...

Other subjects of tall tales include:

• Aylett C. (Strap) Buckner - A Native American-fighter of colonial Texas

• Davy Crockett - A pioneer and U.S. Congressman from Tennessee who later died at the Battle of the Alamo.

• Calamity Jane - A tough Wild West woman

• Febold Feboldson - A Nebraska farmer who could fight a drought

• Joe Magarac - A Pittsburgh steelworker made of steel

• Paul Bunyan - giant lumberjack

• Pecos Bill - giant cowboy who "tamed the wild west"

• John Henry - A mighty steel-driving African American

• Johnny Appleseed - A friendly folk-hero who traveled the West planting apple trees because he felt his guardian angel told him to.

• Mike Fink - The toughest boatman of the Mississippi and is rival of Davy Crockett. Also known as the King of the Mississippi River Keelboatmen

• Molly Pitcher - A heroine of the American Revolutionary War

• Alfred Bulltop Stormalong - An immense sailor whose ship was so big it scraped the moon

• Tony Beaver - A West Virginia lumberjack and cousin of Paul Bunyan

This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... The history of Texas (as part of the United States) began in 1845, but settlement of the region dates back to the end of the Upper Paleolithic Period, around 10,000 BC. Its history has been shaped by being part of six independent countries: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of... Colonel David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was a celebrated 19th-century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician; usually referred to as Davy Crockett and by the popular title King of the Wild Frontier. He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the... Combatants Republic of Mexico Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas Commanders Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón William Travis† Jim Bowie† Davy Crockett† Strength 6,000 in attack (1,800 in assault-see below) 183 to 250 Casualties 650 killed 974 injured 180 killed The... For the film, see Calamity Jane (1953 film) Calamity Jane at age 33. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Largest metro area Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... Joe Magarac is a legendary American folk hero who was a steelworker in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... Pittsburgh redirects here. ... For other uses, see Paul Bunyan (disambiguation). ... Walt Disneys Pecos Bill atop Widowmaker Pecos Bill is a legendary American cowboy, apocryphally immortalized in numerous tall tales of the Old West during American westward expansion into the Southeast of Texas, New Mexico and Arizon. ... Statue of John Henry outside the town of Talcott in Summers County, WV. John Henry is an African-American folk hero, who has been the subject of numerous songs, stories, plays, and novels. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... This article is about the historical figure. ... A compass rose with west highlighted This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see West (disambiguation). ... Mike Fink, {b. ... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ... Molly Pitcher depicted in 1859 engraving Molly Pitcher was a nickname given to a woman who may have fought in the American Revolutionary War. ... This article is about military actions only. ... Alfred Bulltop Stormalong or Captain Stormalong was an American folk hero and the subject of numerous nautical-themed tall tales originating in Massachusetts. ... For other moons in the solar system see natural satellite. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Largest metro area Charleston metro area Area  Ranked 41st  - Total 24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ...

Tall tales in Australia

The Australian frontier similarly inspired the types of tall tales that are found in American folklore. The Australian versions typically centre around a mythical station called The Speewah, a land where men are sexy and giant megafauna roam the landscape. The Speewah is a mythical Australian station that is the subject of many tall tales told by Australian bushmen. ...

The heroes of the Speewah include:

• Big Bill - The dumbest man on the Speewah who made his living cutting up mining shafts and selling them for post holes
• Crooked Mick - A champion shearer who had colossal strength and quick wit.

Another folk hero in Australian folklore is The Man from Snowy River - A hero (created by author Banjo Patterson) whose bravery, adaptability, and risk-taking could epitomise the new Australian spirit. Chuquicamata, the second largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ... A sheep shearer is a worker who uses blade or machine shears to remove the wool from sheep. ... The Man From Snowy River is a poem by Australian bush poet Banjo Paterson. ... Banjo Paterson. ...

Similar traditions in other cultures

Similar storytelling traditions are present elsewhere. The Cumbrian Liars in the United Kingdom provide one example. The film Laughter and Grief by the White Sea shows an illustration from the Pomors Russians by the White Sea. For the 2001 film, see Storytelling (film) Storytelling is the ancient art of conveying events in words, images, and sounds. ... Laughter and Grief by the White Sea (Russian: ; tr. ... Pomors (помо́ры) are Russian settlers of the White Sea coasts. ... Map of the White Sea Two satellite photos of the White Sea The White Sea (Russian: ) is an inlet of the Barents Sea on the North Western coast of Russia. ...

See also

• Baron Munchausen

Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Baron von Münchhausen (May 11, 1720 - February 22, German nobleman who in his youth was sent to serve as page to Anton Ulrich and later joined the Turks. ...

External links

• African Tall Tales
• American Tall Tales HIII