Tag Archives: Folklore

Blog, Folklore

The Michigan Dogman: Mystery and History

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Have you ever seen bigfoot in the woods? What about the mysterious Michigan Dogman? You can be sure that many people in the Midwest have thought about a hairy cryptid from time to time. Whether that be Bigfoot or another unusual monster is up to the imagination. In this post, we are going to discuss the regionally specific cryptid known as the Dogman of Wexford Country.


Dogman Background

First Sightings

To begin, the first sighting of the Michigan Dogman was in 1887 in Wexford County. Allegedly, two lumberjacks “saw the creature whom they described as having a man’s body and a dog’s head.” Certainly, this would have been an alarming sight, considering loggers in California wouldn’t spot bigfoot tracks until 1958; and, yes, I know there were much earlier sightings of bigfoot, but the modern “U.S. concept of bigfoot can be traced quite directly to the Humboldt Times stories in 1958” (Little).

A Michigan Radio article states that many of the first reports of the Dogman came from lumber camps, as “Michigan was the leading white pine lumber producer in the nation,” and lumberjacks in Michigan at the turn of the century (1870s) were certainly known for working, drinking, fighting, and working/drinking some more. As such, it might be very well possible that working that hard and drinking that hard could create visions of monsters lurking in the shadows, and, why not? Drinking and exhaustion are a noxious combination.

Other Sightings

“In 1938 in Paris, Michigan, Robert Fortney was attacked by five wild dogs and said that one of the five walked on two legs,” states the National Paranormal Society. “Reports of similar creatures also came from Allegan County in the 1950s, and in Manistee and Cross Village in 1967” (Cryptozoology).  

Similarly, it is interesting to note that sightings of the Dogman poured into a Traverse City radio station in 1987 (WTCM-FM) after disc jockey Steve Cook played an April Fools Day song called “The Legend.” I can only imagine it was like a catalyst of sorts, as Cook claimed to have received over 100 reports of Dogman sightings in the years following; and, even with the knowledge that the song was an April Fool’s Day joke and The Gable Film (undoubtable proof) was a hoax, the belief in the Dogman has persisted.


Conclusion

I am not entirely sure what to make of the Dogman exactly, but I believe that it represents the unknown that creeps in the forests of Michigan. The Upper Peninsula, for instance (where so many early sightings took place), is a natural wonder…and a different world. Likewise, there are stretches of land up there that go on for miles, untamed, unmanaged—alien to even Michiganders. In those uncharted places, the Dogman could easily rise from our imaginations and stand on two legs, whether we are under the influence of alcohol, or just staring off into the woods after a hard day’s work.


Works Cited

Cryptozoology, in. “Dogman – The National Paranormal Society.” The National Paranormal Society, 29 June 2015, national-paranormal-society.org/dogman/.

Little, Becky, and History.com Staff. “How the Bigfoot Legend Began.” HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 22 Jan. 2020, history.com/news/bigfoot-legend-newspaper.

Staff, Stateside. “Who’s a Good Boy? Not the Michigan Dogman.” Michigan Radio, 1 Nov. 2019, michiganradio.org/offbeat/2019-10-30/whos-a-good-boy-not-the-michigan-dogman.

Blog, Folklore, Writing Craft

How to Use Folkloric Language to Convey Complex Ideas

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There is a wealth of advice on how to write complex thoughts and feelings. Though technique and general advice typically muddle what’s not complex to understand. In other words, one simple way to write complex ideas is to do just that–write simply. Also, using a lens might help; in this case, folklore. Thus, using folkloric language to convey complex ideas is one way to approach writing.

Defining Folkloric Language

Folkloric language, or folkloric prose for that matter, is simple syntax using muscular sentences that say precisely what they mean.

“Folktales for kids share a number of common characteristics,” states the website August House. “Folktales follow straight forward story lines with traditional, easy to follow plotlines.”

In other words, generations before us have passed down the oral tradition of folklore. Therefore, the language has to be simple enough to remember and universally understood. With that in mind, the stories have to have maximum impact while saying more with less.

Examples from Folklore

“There once was a fisherman and his wife who lived together in a hovel by the seashore, and fisherman went out every day with his hook and line to catch fish, and he angled and angled.”

So starts the folkloric tale of “the “The Fisherman and His Wife” by The Brothers Grimm. In it, a fisherman catches an enchanted fish and the man agrees to release it if only to acquiesce to his wife’s demands–that the enchanted fish grant wishes in return for its freedom. Of course, the wife’s wishes become too great. This is due to her greedy ambition. So they are without wishes and are whisked back to their ordinary life.

There is a lot to unpack here, but while there are layers of thematic understanding in this particular story, it still conveys complex ideas using simple language. This is precisely the point of today’s post, as folkloric language has a very interesting appeal in that, while childlike, it has the ability to convey a great deal of information through minimal language.

Simple Language in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Example

In one of my favorite folklore collections, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, the author Alvin Schwartz focuses on a very simple prose in order to tell each tale collected within the volume. In “The Thing,” which appears in the collection, two friends–Ted Martin and Sam Miller–are sitting on a fence one evening when they spot something in the field across the street.

“It looked like a man, but in the dark, it was hard to tell for sure. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.”

An awfully scary occurrence if you ask me, but one that is simply put. There was something, and then it was gone.

“But soon it appeared again. It walked halfway across the road, then turned around and returned to the field … Then it came for a third time and started toward them.”

Ted and Sam beat the pavement but stop, believing themselves to be acting silly. Sam heads back to get a better look but finds the creature so horrific that they once again run in terror. A year later, Ted becomes ill and Sam stays with him every night. “The night Ted died, he looked just like the frightening thing that they had encountered a year before.”

Explanation

It’s a scary story, but one that fits the premise of this post. In very simple, folkloric language, Schwartz conveys not just a spooky story about a monster chasing a few boys down the road, but one of death and the inability to escape the Grim Reaper’s pursuit.

On the surface level, Ted and Sam were running from a monster, and thus “The Thing” is a simple monster story. As far as the depth of the story, there is quite a bit more. The story speaks of the pain of losing a friend to horrible illness, and the omens we see in life that can inform us of the frailty of life around us at all times. The Thing, in this instance, is an extended metaphor for illness, cancer, and sickness, but Alvin Schwartz doesn’t need to tell us that; in fact, he has to do very little work at all to convey this information.

Conclusion

Using folkloric language to convey complex ideas is a good idea for beginning writer. However, even as a journeyman or master writer, you can always go back and refine your skills with simplicity. Nonetheless, folklore is a great starting point in order to practice literary analysis. For instance, if you want to sharpen your ability to parse metaphor, reading folklore can treat you to great stories that often have deeper meanings and lessons.

Blog, Folklore

Folklore: The Legend of Lilac Lady at Landmark Inn

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In Marquette, Michigan, far to the North of the state, there is a historic hotel: Landmark Inn. The hotel is located on Front Street. Inside, on the sixth floor, is the Lilac Room, which is beautifully designed and in lilac pink. Regardless of its beauty, it has a darker side, because according to legend–a ghost lives in this hotel. In this post, we will explore the the Lilac Lady of Landmark Inn, because who doesn’t love a good ghost story?

Background and location

The Inn resides in an area where it towers “over Marquette’s cityscape” and silhouettes itself against Lake Superior. In a previous time, it welcomed many celebrities and was a hotspot for visitors. It was the “epicenter of the downtown Marquette social scene” (Landmark Inn). Famous visitors included Amelia Earhart (1932), Abbot & Costello (1942), astronaut Jerry Linenger, and novelist Jim Harrison

So the story of the Lilac Room goes…

The prevailing story tells the tale of a woman (possibly a librarian) whose lover, a sailor, supposedly died on Lake Superior. The “questions about his disappearance plagued her to a point where she couldn’t take the grief anymore” and she killed herself in her room (Robinson). Much akin to folklore, the story has differences depending on the source. One source claims that she died by suicide, “in the room by tying multiple lilac-imprinted napkins together and hanging herself outside of one of the room’s many windows” (Pure Michigan). Other sources state that she might have died of a broken heart (Haunted Rooms). However, it wouldn’t be a ghost story without a ghost. sp she is said to stand at the window, near the bed, or ramble about the room, all the while wearing a floral gown. Therefore, she is the Lilac Lady, who also happens to be in the Lilac Room in the Inn. Additionally, she is said to call the switchboard in the lobby from the room. Afterward, she is seen in the hall of the sixth floor.

Analysis

I have mentioned many times on the blog, but folklore is interesting because it acts as a mode of explanation. It also helps individuals cope with trauma or at least explain why something horrible happens. Ghosts are great catalysts of trauma, as they float through our reality, haunting it with their grief and sadness. In one way, the Lilac Lady seems to be some sort of manifestation of loss due to Lake Superior, which is so near, and undoubtedly this is an occurrence that has happened regularly in the area for years. How many Great Lakes disasters and drownings are there really? In another way, it is a testament to the age-old story of the jilted lover, one that has been pervasive throughout history–the woman that throes herself from a crenelation after her husband fails to return from war, the ghosts that haunt old homes looking for their lovers, etc.

Works Cited

“History.” Landmark Inn. Web. https://www.thelandmarkinn.com/history

“The 7 Most Haunted Places in Michigan.” Haunted Rooms.

“12 Incredibly Haunted Places in the Upper Peninsula.” Pure Michigan. Michigan.org.

Robinson, John. “The ghost of the Lilac Room: Marquette, Michigan.” 99.1 WFMK. May 15, 2019. Web. https://99wfmk.com/the-lilac-room/

Blog, Folklore

Why Bigfoot Remains a Captivating Legend Today

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Legends are a big part of oral storytelling. They help humans understand their past and create engaging stories where there are none. The folkloric Bigfoot is such a story because of its plausibility and what it symbolizes in the vast American wilderness. In this post, we are going to define a legend and see how Bigfoot fits within that definition.

What is a legend?

Legends share many of the same qualities as myths. They have supernatural qualities, and unbelievable characters. The major difference is that they come from the recent past, are historical in nature, and are passed from one generation to the next. These qualities create a lasting aspect to the stories we hear about cryptids and strange happenings throughout history.

Origins of Bigfoot

The folkloric Bigfoot arrived in Northern California in 1958. This comes after journalist Andrew Genzoli of the Humboldt Times “thought the mysterious footprints ‘made a good Sunday morning story’” (Little). Though little more than a fluff piece for the paper, the story sparked a huge amount of interest with readers. So the Bigfoot legend was born out of continued attention and press. 

As far as the believability of this “evidence,” writer Ben Crair addresses what most skeptics already know about the history and reliability of Bigfoot. He states that Bigfoot “is not the first fabled hominid to roam North America.” In fact, he writes that “Sasquatches” have been a tradition in the myths of Native Americans and groups of indigenous people in the “Pacific Northwest.”

He writes: “… those 1958 footprints transformed the myth into a media sensation. The tracks were planted near Bluff Creek in Northern California by a man named Ray Wallace—but his prank was not revealed until his death in 2002, when his children said it had all been ‘just a joke’” (Crair).

In other words, the legend is most definitely a hoax, but what makes it interesting is how the legend surrounding it creates a lasting impression on readers and researchers. The folkloric Bigfoot may just be an invention of eager explorers and researchers, but it has an important role in our American lore.

Bigfoot’s Legendary Importance

Legends and myths have staying power through their use in traditions and oral storytelling. If you are a writer, this should be important. Because the way we tell stories shares a lot with writing narratives or using rhetoric to persuade and argue claims. Stories rife with pathos or logos can convince us of reality—just like the legend of Bigfoot.

As stated by some sources, stories aren’t just things we relay around “a pool of lamplight in a nursery or round a campfire” (Health Foundation). Rather, stories exist each day and we engage with them often. Consider the amount of times you tell a person a story in one day, or a book you read. Additionally, they appear in our movies and shows, and in the advertisements targeted at us online.

Conclusion

To sum up, one reason reading fairy tales, folklore, legends, and myths is important, is because they are apart of a our very being. Regardless if it is just a big hairy cryptid tromping through the woods, we are informed by these stories. Bigfoot shows us that the wilds around civilization are still untamed. Unseen forces are still out there for society to uncover.

Blog, Literary Bios

The Story Behind The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

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I remember sitting in grade school and listening to my teacher read “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving to the class. It was autumn, and the dark sky, rain, and autumn leaves blowing outside the classroom impressed on my brain forever. It was a chilling ghost story. Sometime toward the end of her reading, I thought to myself: “I am going to teach one day because I want this experience to exist for others.” In this post, we will dig into the life of Washington Irving, his accomplishments, and his impact.

Biography

Irving’s Early Years

Irving was born in New York City in 1783. He was named after General George Washington. He was the 11th child in his family, and some sources described him as having a frailty as a young child. Nevertheless, he spent much of his early days wandering the city and the countryside. He explored, learning from the histories and stories that were pervasive in the Hudson Valley. In this area, folklore and legends were rife in the rural communities.

Irving’s College Years and First Writings

Rather than attend college, Irving studied law in his early days and “wrote a series of whimsically satirical essays.” This satirical style would define his later work. As a lawyer, Irving worked diligently but spent much time devoted to his craft and published a series of letters in 1802 under the pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon. He also collaborated with his brother William and James K. Paulding in 1807 and 1808 to craft a series of essays. These essays, entitled Salmagundi, were centered on trends in society.

England and Fame

Irving moved to England in 1815. After the family “import-export” business failed, he busied himself with writing and produced The Sketch Book under the pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon. This book contained both “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” It was also extremely popular with audiences and made Irving a star in the literary world.

To give some context to his style, here is an excerpt from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” In this passage, the protagonist Ichabod Crain comes face-to-face with the Headless Horseman:

“He appeared to be a horseman of large dimensions, and mounted on a black horse of powerful frame. He made no offer of molestation or sociability, but kept aloof on one side of the road, jogging along on the blind side of old Gunpowder (Ichabod’s horse), who had now got over his fright and waywardness. Ichabod, who had no relish for this strange midnight companion, and bethought himself of the adventure of Brom Bones with the Galloping Hessian, now quickened his steed, in hopes of leaving him behind. The stranger, however, quickened his horse to an equal pace. Ichabod pulled up, and fell into a walk, thinking to lag behind—the other did the same. His heart began to sink within him; he endeavored to resume his psalm-tune, but his parched tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, and he could not utter a stave.”

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving

“Ichabod Crane imagining a phantom at his shoulder. American ghost story and folk tale.” — by Frederick Simpson Coburn

Irving would later return to America in 1832. He ventured out west where he wrote A Tour of Prairies (1835), The Adventures of Captain Bonneville (1837), and a few other works. He spent his final days near the Hudson River and died of a heart attack in Tarrytown, New York on Nov. 28, 1859.

Conclusion

In his lifetime, Irving gained international fame as an author, which was uncommon in his age. In this way, American literature, akin to Daniel Dafoe, became as important as European literature and cemented American mythos and folklore as viable tradition. Similarly, his works inspired the short story genre and created a conversational style that was approachable for contemporary readers. With that said, Irving made a lasting impact on the literary world.