ErinManko

John Henry or Henry John?

Was it John Henry or possibly Henry John? Was he real or fictional? Does it matter? John Henry is a legend, a folk-hero, and a "steel driving man." He's one of those men like Paul Bunyan, just his name describes a big, tall, strong, hard-working man. I personally liked this story because whether or not it was real, its fun to at least imagine it. Thats the special thing about folklore, is that we really aren't sure of the exact details of the story like whether JH (John Henry) was from Alabama, or Virginia, or West Virginia. Each time its told it gets more interesting and twisted just a bit, kind of like gossip in today's world. You know how in high school you say something and someone hears it but "tweaks" it and another does the same, till it gets back to you that you did some wild and crazy thing. Even if JH wasn't real, though I think he may have been a real person, he is a hero to everyone who hears songs, reads stories, or sees plays about him.
I compared the Early version of John Henry, Steel Driving Man with the Folk Version of the Ballad. In the early version it focuses mainly on the race between himself and the steam drill, while in the folk version it focuses more on how he is preparing to die while racing and says goodbye to his wife ,Julie Anne (in the early version its Pollie Anne)and talks with his son and mentions his mom. The folk version has many more verses added and is 2 pages longer than the early version. The folk version notes that it was used for workers in the laboring community, "for if there was a slacker in a gang it would stimulate him with its heroic masculine appeal." So these people did view John Henry as a hero and someone to look up to and strive to be like. I think we tend to overanalyze stories today and miss the simplest meanings of the story.