Summary

• Discover the real-life origins of Winnie the Pooh and how he got his peculiar name from a Canadian black bear named Winnipeg.
• A young Christopher Robin meeting Winnie at the London Zoo inspired A.A. Milne to write a series based on their interactions.
• Despite a new horror film adaptation, Winnie the Pooh remains a beloved children's character with a long history in media.

From a beloved children's character to a cold-hard killer, Winnie the Pooh has had one of the oddest modern trajectories for an iconic character. But many don't know about the humble honey-loving bear's origins and how he got the peculiar name. Knowing the background is important to understand how the character became such a huge success and how he has evolved over the years.

We will look at the real-life origins of Winnie The Pooh and his pal Christopher Robin, how prominent the duo was in the media throughout the years, and how the bear turned bad.

The Origins of Winnie The Pooh and How He Got His Name

Winnie the Pooh was created by A.A. Milne, a playwright, contributor, and assistant editor for the British humor magazine Punch, before finding precedent success with his series about a honey-loving bear. But the trek to get Winnie to inspire Milne to transition into writing children's novels came from a real-life bear with an interesting history.

The fictional character was based on a female black bear found in White River, Ontario, and purchased by Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian in the Canadian Army during the First World War, for $20 in 1914 (Over $500 with inflation). Colebourn named the bear “Winnipeg,” his hometown, the capital of Manitoba, Canada, and became a sort of mascot for Colebourn’s regiment, the Fort Garry Horse, part of the 3rd Canadian Division. C.

Winnipeg, now carrying the more affectionate nickname of Winnie, accompanied Colebourn and his regiment overseas. However, before shipping off to France to fight in the War, it was decided that Winnie would be best served under the care of others familiar with animal care. In December 1914, she was welcomed into the London Zoo, where she soon became a star attraction.

Christopher Robin Meeting Winnie the Pooh Inspired A.A. Milne

In 1926, a young Christopher Robin Milne became enamored by the bear at the London Zoo and soon spent a lot of time visiting Winnie. This inspired A.A. Milne to write a series based on his son and the bear. The bear's full name was extended to the now-known Winnie the Pooh, with the 'pooh' being inspired by a name that Christopher Robin gave to a swan at the zoo. While peculiar, the reasoning behind the name was touted by Milne as being perfectly apt, as taken from the book "When We Were Very Young":

"This is a very fine name for a swan, because if you call him and he doesn't come (which is a thing swans are good at), then you can pretend that you were just saying 'Pooh!' to show him how little you wanted him." A.A. Milne

Winnipeg/Winnie would live a long life for a bear, living to the age of 20, which was over two years of the average lifespan of a Black Bear, and passed at the London Zoo in 1934. Colebourn survived the First World War and returned home to Winnipeg. His original plan was to bring Winnie back with him to Canada, but he decided to have her stay at the London Zoo; he died on Sept. 24, 1947. AA Milne died in January 1956 at the age of 74, and Christopher Robin Milne died in April 1996 at the age of 75. The two had a complex relationship, with Christopher struggling with the infamy his father's works brought, but the legacy the duo left behind is undeniable.

Winnie the Pooh Has Had a Long History in Media

Winnie the Pooh became a popular children's character, and the books served as a means to build into an eventual animated adaptation. The Winnie the Pooh TV series lasted for four seasons, from 1988 to 1991, producing 50 episodes and 82 segments. In addition to the TV, movies, and books, there was plenty of merchandise, such as stuffed animals and a comic book series. Notable releases include:

• Books
  • When We Were Very Young (1924)
  • Winnie-the-Pooh (1926)
  • Now We Are Six (1927)
  • The House at Pooh Corner (1928)

• Television
  • The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991)

• Television Specials
  • Too Smart for Strangers (1985)
  • Responsible Persons (1989)
  • One and Only You (1989)
  • Winnie the Pooh (1996)
  • A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving (1998)
  • A Valentine for You (1999)
  • Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too (1991)
  • Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh (1996)

• Movies
  • Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966)
  • Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968)
  • Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974)
  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
  • Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983)
  • Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin (1997)
  • The Tigger Movie (2000)
  • Piglet's Big Movie (2003)
  • Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo (2004)
  • Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005)
  • Winnie the Pooh (2011)
  • Christopher Robin (2018)

• Historical Drama's
  • A Bear Named Winnie (2004)
  • Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)

The decades of media built up have made the series an integral part of many people's childhood upbringing, with the playful voice of Winnie the Pooh comforting and entertaining many in their childhood. Winnie the Pooh has been voiced by two people, with Sterling Holloway first voicing the bear up until the 1980's. However, Winnie's most recognized voice comes from Jim Cummings, who also provided Tigger's voice.

How Winnie the Pooh Became a Killer

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This is obviously a bit tongue-in-cheek, as Winnie did not just happen upon a bad batch of honey or lose the quaint morality that made him such a wholesome draw for kids' entertainment. Moreover, we are aware that not everyone enjoys seeing such an integral part of their childhood turned into a violent killer. The switch to horror came from the simple fact that Winnie the Pooh went into the public domain on Jan. 1, 2022 (with a few caveats), allowing filmmaker Rhys Frake-Waterfield to create his monstrous rendition of the beloved kid's icon.

You can still enjoy Winnie the Pooh in his more wholesome and beloved form by watching The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, along with many of the movies currently available on Disney+. For those looking for the more horrific, bloodthirsty version of the bear, Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey is available on Peacock.