Saying that storks bring babies from Paris is the response of many parents to their children’s questions when they want to know where their children come from. Everyone knows this story, which has been represented in animated films and children’s books, but its origin is not so popular. Why are these birds and the French capital related to birth?
Many cultures consider storks to be sacred creatures that are a symbol of good luck and prosperity. In Egyptian mythology they were associated with the birth of the world.
According to Greek mythology, the goddess Hera turned Gerana, who was having an affair with Zeus, into a crane. Since she did not want to be separated from her newborn son, she wrapped him in a blanket and took him away holding the cloth with her beak. The passage of time caused cranes and storks to be confused. The Germanic peoples believed that storks rescued the souls of the deceased to give them to babies.
During the pagan era in northern Europe, weddings used to take place on the summer solstice, as it was a date associated with fertility. Storks are migratory birds that fly every year from Europe to Africa. They return about nine months later, with the return of warm spring temperatures. This time coincided with that of many births. In Slavic culture it was believed that these animals were in charge of bringing newborns. The fact that a stork nested on the roof of a house was a sign that the family that lived in the place was going to receive a new member.
The myth around these birds was evolving and spreading. The white color of their plumage was associated with purity, while the mistaken belief that they are monogamous was linked to family values.
The legend became popular in the 19th century thanks to The Storks, a tale by Hans Christian Andersen. According to this account, the birds took babies from ponds and lakes to bring to families with well-behaved children. The story has a dark side, as misbehaving little ones were given dead babies.
The belief that babies come from Paris also has different origins. The French capital receives the name of the city of love, something that contributed to its being the favorite destination for multitudes of newlyweds. Upon returning from the honeymoon, many women came back pregnant. This is how the expression “bring a baby from Paris” arose.
On the other hand, there is a legend that became popular in the Middle Ages related to France and storks. The story goes that a couple from Alsace, in the northeast of the country, wanted to have a child. A pair of storks made their nest in the chimney of their house. The man, seeing that the smoke was not coming out, went up to the roof to examine the place and found a newborn. It is believed that over time this story changed, changing Alsace to Paris.
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