People have been left ‘haunted' after learning that Humpty Dumpty isn't an egg.
Nursery rhymes are loved by lots of kids because of their happy tunes and fun words. They are a special part of growing up for many.
While nursery rhymes may appear simple and harmless at first glance, many contain underlying themes and complexities. This is evident in popular examples such as ‘Incy Wincy Spider' and ‘Little Bo Peep.'
Prepare yourself if you possess cherished books adorned with illustrated nursery rhymes! A captivating mystery surrounding these nursery rhymes is on the verge of being uncovered.
Everyone knows and loves Humpty Dumpty, one of the most famous nursery rhymes out there. But guess what? The character isn't actually an egg!
An individual expressed their feelings on social media regarding this discovery, stating, “This has been troubling me for years.”
Another adds: “Oh my goodness, how did I not realize this?”
“My mind has been blown,” comments a third.
Another person mentions, “These are the types of things that make it hard for me to sleep at night.”
If you take a good look at the words of the nursery rhyme, you'll see that it never actually says Humpty is an egg.
Let's refresh our memories with the classic lines:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,
All the king's horses and all the king's men,
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
So, how did Humpty come to be known as an egg?
It is fascinating to realize that the initial appearance of an egg-shaped Humpty originated in Lewis Carroll's work, ‘Through the Looking Glass.'
Ever since that time, the way we describe eggs has become really popular.
This raises an additional inquiry: what was Humpty's identity prior to his rise to fame as an egg?
Some people think that the nursery rhyme is about King Richard III and how he lost at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, according to the Mirror.
History Defined explains that the king was noted to have fallen, and his soldiers and men couldn't achieve victory that day.
But this isn't the only theory about Humpty.
Some historians who study wars believe that Humpty Dumpty wasn't really an egg or a person, but actually a cannon!
Author Holly Bourne went on X (which used to be called Twitter) to ask for more details, and Jane Etheridge, who is the Vice Chair of the Federation of Children's Book Groups, replied: “People think it's Roundhead propaganda about a Royalist cannon. [His] first time showing up as an egg was in ‘Through the Looking Glass.'”
During the English Civil War, which happened from 1642 to 1651, a big cannon was thought to be used. When Colchester was being attacked, a cannon from the attackers broke the wall where ‘Humpty Dumpty' was sitting, causing him to fall down.
Because it was so big, neither the king's horses nor the king's men could put it back together again.
It looks like there isn't just one story about where Humpty Dumpty came from, but one thing we know for sure is that he wasn't always thought of as an egg like we usually think of him now.
