Two German brothers, Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, were among the leading folklore scholars. From 1807 until 1814 they collected folk tales from peasants who lived near Kassel, Germany. The Grimms believed that by collecting the tales, they were preserving the heritage of all Germans. The stories they collected became known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

The Brothers Grimm
The Grimm Brothers

Folklore can be short and simple like Time Flies or Money Talks.

Anansi the Spider

From 1500 to 1800 thousands of West Africans were transported to the Western Hemisphere as slaves. Many of the slaves enjoyed telling West African folk tales such as the story of the sly spider Anansi which remains a popular character in Black Folklore today both in West Africa and the Caribbean.

Links to other Websites with Information about Anansi:

Wikipedia.orge
PBS.org
Intro to Anansi the Spider

American Folklore

American Folklore is a mosaic of cultures and includes many legendary heroes such as:

David Crockett
David Crockett was a frontiersman.
He lived from 1786 until his death at the Alamo in 1836.
He was an American folk-hero better known as Davy Crockett.
The Story of David Crockett

John Chapman
Better known as Johnny Appleseed.
He was a pioneer who lived from 1774 through 1847.
He planted apple trees in many places and became an American legend.
The Story of Johnny Appleseed

John Henry
A hero of American folktales and folk songs.
Legendary black American famous for his strength.
John Henry was a steel driving man.
The Story of John Henry

Daniel Boone
American legend and true folk hero.
Born in 1734 and Died in 1820.
Pioneer who blazed the Wilderness Road.
The Story of Daniel Boone

Legends Included in Folklore:

Lock Ness Monster
"Many a man has been hanged on less evidence
than there is for the Loch Ness Monster." —G.K. Chesterton
The Beast of Loch Ness

Abominable Snowman
A humanlike creature named for the perpetual snow region of the Himalayas.
A figure unknown except for the tracks tracks ascribed to it and through alleged encounters,
it is described as being 6 to 8 feed tall and covered with long, dark hair.
The Abominable Snowman

Bigfoot or Sasquatch
A large apelike creature reportedly sighted hundreds of times in the United States
and Canada since the middle of the nineteenth century.
Bigfoot is described as standing anywhere from seven to 10 feet tall
and weighing over 500 pounds with footprints 17 inches long.
Big Foot

Folk Songs

America's folk songs are one of her most precious treasures. Each song is like a thread of fabric woven into American history. This country has produced folk songs that reflect her struggles, aspirations, and major changes.

Yankee Doodle Dandy
Created in the early 1750s.
Dr. Richard Schuckburg created the tune to ridicule Americans.
Americans took the song and made it their own.
An American Classic: Yankee Doodle

Dixie
Dixie is a popular American folk song.
Created by Daniel Decatur Emmett in 1859.
Credited for making the term Dixie synonymous with the South.
Learn more about Dixie

Old Dan Tucker
A favorite old folk song created in 1843.
Some believe the song was authored by slaves in Georgia
in memory of the Reverend Daniel Tucker.
Old Dan Tucker

Disclaimer: By providing links to other sites, Belinda's Folklore Page does not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products available at these sites, nor does a link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked site to Belinda's Folklore Page.

This website is a student project created for Computers, Writing, and Literature English Course 3134 Web page designed & content created by: Belinda Richardson November 2007 Currently taking RODP classes through Tennessee Technological Universtiy PO Box 5157 Cookeville, TN 38505-0001. 931-372-3205. Copyright © 2007 by Belinda Richardson All Rights Reserved