- Feb 5, 2002
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Bird migration may be to blame.
There comes a point in every child’s life when they ask where babies come from, and some parents—not wanting to explain the details of reproduction just yet—turn to the story of storks. Even if adults are up-front about the facts of life, kids are often exposed to the myth of storks delivering babies via media. Disney’s 1941 animated classic Dumbo, which starts with a scene of the long-legged birds dropping bundled-up babies to their circus animal parents, is the most famous example. But this myth predates Disney by at least a few hundred years.
Continued below.
www.mentalfloss.com
There comes a point in every child’s life when they ask where babies come from, and some parents—not wanting to explain the details of reproduction just yet—turn to the story of storks. Even if adults are up-front about the facts of life, kids are often exposed to the myth of storks delivering babies via media. Disney’s 1941 animated classic Dumbo, which starts with a scene of the long-legged birds dropping bundled-up babies to their circus animal parents, is the most famous example. But this myth predates Disney by at least a few hundred years.
The Less Likely Mythological Origin
The roots of this feathery folk story are sometimes traced back to Greek mythology, specifically the tale of the Pygmy queen Gerana drawing the eye—and ire—of Hera, the vengeful queen of the gods. Gerana boasted about her beauty and was deified by her people, so Hera punished her by turning her into a stork. Gerana, not willing to leave her young son behind, either flew around to stay close to him, or, as some later versionstell it, snatched him up in her beak.Continued below.
Why Do We Say Storks Deliver Babies?
There comes a point in every child’s life when they ask where babies come from. And for some reason, parents turn to the story of storks.
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