What is THE Pooh?

Here’s a memory that came up on Facebook, that I felt needed to be shared on my website. I originally wrote this three years ago today, in the middle of quarantine.

Random thought while making coffee…

He’s called Winnie the Pooh.

THE Pooh.

So… “Pooh” is a title.

I have questions…

  • How did he become THE Pooh?
  • What does it mean to be THE Pooh?
  • What are the responsibilities that go with being THE Pooh?
  • Is it a title or a position having to do with the 100 Acre Wood or from elsewhere?
  • Is it a hereditary title?

Also… None of the other characters call him Winnie. Even though the stories present them as casual familiars, they default to the formality of the title. Including Christopher Robin.

Pooh.

Do the other residents of the 100 Acre Wood do this out of respect? Or fear? Or pity? Yes, pity. Perhaps the title once meant something, but now…
For example, some families refer to aging members by military ranks as a “kindness” to the relative, helping them hold onto the glory of former days.

With this revelation, I must re-read. I must understand what it means to be…

THE Pooh.

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