Stork Myth

I’ve wondered why people have claimed that our babes
Are delivered by storks of all things.
Does whiteness mean purity? Polish lore claims
They’ve a dark side as shown by black wings.

The myth’s been heard most in the north part of Europe.
It’s found in North Africa too.
It even turned up in the form of a wood stork
Among pre-Columbian Sioux.

Some trace it to Greek myth, where Hera transformed
A vain mother—but into a crane.
Some look to Egyptian creator god Bennu—
A heron, confused once again.

There also may be some conflation with pelicans,
Once thought to pierce their own breast
To nourish their offspring. (Medieval ideas
Of the natural world weren’t the best.)

The likeliest reason: Storks headed for Africa
Starting when pagans would wed,
The summertime solstice; the birds would return
In nine months. (Get the point? Use your head.)

OK, this behavior is hardly unique.
Many birds have a sim’lar migration.
But storks may stand out for their size among those
Who make nests near a man’s habitation.

When Hans Christian Andersen wrote about storks,
He injected the myth with new life.
Victorians found it convenient for skipping
The details of what could cause strife.

Today, it’s not cool to teach stork myth as fact,
But as fanciful symbol, all right.
A newborn whose back of the head has a birthmark
Is still said to have a stork bite.