Polina Dranichnikova

Russia, Yelabuga

Folklore in the historical life of New Englanders

The aim of this article is considering the folklore of the United States, especially in Massachusetts state and which categories it covers (myths, songs, legends, cautionary tales, places).

The history of the Native Americans is embedded within their folklore. Therefore, if a person is familiar with their customs, folklore, myths and history, that person will likely understand and respect their culture. 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. While it contains much in the way of Native American tradition, it should not be confused with the tribal beliefs of any community of native people. American folklore has come out of American life, yet it is related to the folklore of Europe, Africa and Asia. Many American folk songs are like folk songs sung in Europe, particularly those sung in England and Scotland [5, c. 4]. Many American folktales are like folktales told in other parts of the world. Many American children’s games are almost the same as games played in other countries [1, c.55].

Like the folklore of the world, American folklore can be divided into special groups. The groups may be divided according to occupation. Miners have their songs and superstitions, railroad men, soldiers, cowboys, farmers and sailors have theirs. Or the groups may be divided according to geographical position: Southern folklore, New England folklore and Western folklore. Let’s speak about particular place- Massachusetts, one of the states of New England.

Each piece of folklore, whether it is a song, a folktale or a game has a long story. For example, Salem, situated about 15 miles northeast of Boston, was one of the great New England seaports during the era of the clipper ships. Its federal-era architecture is among the best in the country. Yet the very name of the place conjures up images of the infamous witch trials of 1692, in which twenty presumably innocent people were executive in an outburst of hysteria unlike any other in American history. Some historians have tried to explain it as a disguised land grab, in which key property holders were deliberately targeted by their enemies. Other simply regard it as religious frenzy. But it has inspired writers from native son Nathaniel Hawthorne to playwright Arthur Miller, who found in the witch trials a parallel to the career of Sen. Joseph McCarthy and wrote “The Crucible”. Such political persecutions are still referred to as “witch hunts” in this country.

Eventually, Salem decided to go along with the story. This celebration began in 1982. The city of witches now uses Halloween to exorcise its past in a light-hearted tribute to the country’s spookiest holiday [7, c. 139].

Like as Halloween, Thanksgiving day has also a long history. Days of Thanksgiving were a general feature of all religious communities and could be called at any time of year. Harvest festivals have been held since the human race first took to farming. Its basic details make up the fabric of America’s self-image, taught to schoolchildren in the first grade. People seeking freedom came to a new world. Because they felt chosen by God for a destiny unlike other nations they were compelled to give thanks. In the late autumn of 1621, having come through starvation, disease, and terrible isolation in the year after their landing, those who survived held a feast.

It took more than 200 years, however, for Thanksgiving to become a celebration for all Americans. It was always a distinctly New England holiday, in the manner of most harvest festivals [7, c.134].

As for American folk songs, some of them came from Europe, but some belong to the New World. American work songs are a good example of both kinds. For instance, "Yankee Doodle". It is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States, especially in New England:

Yankee Doodle went to town,

Riding on a pony;

He stuck a feather in his hat,

And called it macaroni

It has been reported that the British often marched to a version believed to be about a man named Thomas Ditson, of Billerica, Massachusetts. Ditson was tarred and feathered for attempting to buy a musket in Boston in March 1775, although he later fought at Concord:

Yankee Doodle came to town,

For to buy a firelock,

We will tar and feather him,

And so we will John Hancock.

When the Americans first defeated the British at Concord they began to call themselves “Yankees” and took pride in their new name. Now “Yankee” is often used by people abroad as a name for Americans in general, but in the USA it is still restricted to New Englanders and those of the northern states [4, 79].

All people tell stories about their heroes. There are many American folk heroes. Some are actual persons; other are completely fictitious. Whether a folk hero ever lived or has nothing to do with his being a folk hero. He is a folk hero simply because he is the subject of tales told by the folk.

Appleseed, Johnny. This native of Springfield, Massachusetts, famed in ballads and songs, sowed apple orchards in remote places over hundreds of frontier miles in Ohio and Indiana. Settlers transplanted Johnny’s seeding trees to start their own orchards.

Paul Revere. This noted Boston silversmith was immortalized in Longfellow’s poem for his midnight ride on horseback from Charleston to Lexington on April 18, 1775. He warned the Massachusetts patriots that British troops were planning to attack [3].

There are also the events of American History that gave rise to Folklore Legends.

The battle of Lexington and Concord the first battle of the Revolutionary War, fought in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775. British troops had moved from Boston toward Lexington and Concord to seize the colonists’ military supplies and arrest the revolutionaries. In Concord, advancing British troops met resistance from the Minutemen who harassed the retreating British troops along the Concord-Lexington Road. Paul Revere on his famous ride, had first alerted the Americans to the British movement.

During the battle there was a skirmish at Concord’s North Bridge, later commemorated in a poem by Ralph Emerson:

Bu the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood

And fired the shot heard round the world.

There are also folklore characters and famous people of colonial America:

John Smith – one of the first English colonists in North America. Taken prisoner by the Indians, he was condemned to death, but he escaped and told the story of his rescue by the Indian princess, Pocahontas, daughter of the local chieftain. He saved the colonists from starvation by obtaining corn from the Indians and served as president of the council before he left for England. In 1614 he explored the New England coast and urged that it be settled.

Miles Standish -one of the early colonists of New England. He came over in the “Mayflower” to Plymouth in 1620, was appointed captain by the Pilgrims and commanded various expeditions against the Indians. He is the leading figure in Longfellow’s poem “The Courtship of Miles Standish” [6, c.80].

Samuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American republicanism that shaped the political culture of the United States. He was a second cousin to President John Adams. He organized the Boston Tea party [2, c. 63].

In studying American folklore it is interesting to see what parts of Old world folklore were transplanted to the New World. Some of the fabulous supernatural creatures- the Scandinavian troll, the German elf, the English fairy, the Irish leprechaun- are found in America. In the same way, American folklore includes a rich treasure of African animal tales, but the principal form of African folklore, the proverbs, was lost when the Negroes shifted from their African languages to English.

The founding of the United States is often surrounded by 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 values and belief systems.

Литература

1. Artyomova A.F., Leonovich O. A. American folklore// Иностранные языки в школе.—1994. —№ 5. —С.55

2. Гейдарова И.Г. 20 самых известных городов СШA : учебное пособие /И.Г. Гейдарова. — М.:АСТ: Восток-запад, 2007. —93с

3. Леонтович О.А.Жизнь и культура США: Лингвострановедческий словарь./О.А. Леонтович. — Волгоград: Станица-2, 1998. — 416с.

4. Перкас С.В. Американская песня в качестве музыкальной иллюстрации при изучении страноведческого материала// Иностранные языки в школе. —2004. —№1. —112с.

5. Поспелова Н.В. Лингвокультуроведение при изучении иностранных языков (на материале английских детских стишков и клерихью)// Учебное пособие по спецкурсу. —Набережные Челны, 2003. —36 с.

6. Томахин Г.Д. Культура стран английского языка// Иностранные языки в школе.—1997. —№ 4. —С.79

7. Шитова Л.Ф., Губина Г.Б. Что и как празднуют американцы. —СПб.: —Антология, 2003. —320 с.