|
When you were a kid, did you ever ask mom and dad where you came from? Did they mumble something about a stork, and then quickly change the subject? If so, you're not alone. Many of us grow up thinking a giant bird brought us into the world. While this may seem like a cowardly (and weird) explanation, the legend is based more on superstition than avoidance of "the talk." Why a stork? Why not a falcon or a condor? Simple. Historically, storks have been associated with happiness and prosperity. For many years, the birds were believed to be strictly monogamous creatures. This apparent
faithfulness inspired many cultures to attach idealized parental traits to the birds. In other cultures, storks often hold a similar sort of symbolism. This essay by Scott McDonald relates how the ancient Egyptians used the bird to represent the soul. Storks are mentioned quite a bit in the Bible and the medieval bestiaries as well. And according to Chinese legend, the stork delivered people to the heavens. All in all, not a bad animal to assign to the task of delivering babies. While most of us eventually learned the stork didn't really drop us on mom and dad's doorstep, perhaps we should thank our
parents for the lie. After all, isn't that a prettier picture than what really happened?
|
