Are there parallels between Paul Bunyan and Poseidon?
First, and most importantly, they both sport impressive beard growth. They are both normally depicted with chiseled physiques. Both have blue animals associated with them (an ox and a dolphin, respectively). Both carry sharp implements (axe, trident). And both, of course, come striding to us out of the mists of mythology.
Yet, I propose that the mythologies they come from are vastly different in nature.
Paul Bunyan statue at the Enchanted Forest in Old Forge, New York. Library of Congress. (Public Domain)
What Mythology Means
The word “mythology” presents a difficulty. The word can be used in many different ways, and these various definitions overlap to some degree, muddying the waters further. “Mythology” can refer to folktales and tall tales, mere oddball stories that develop in a certain time and place….