Many lost their minds after discovering the truth that Humpy is not an egg and it ‘haunting’ them.
Humpty Dumpty is a staple of childhood memories, often evoking nostalgia with its catchy rhyme.
For many, the character has always been envisioned as a charming anthropomorphic egg. However, recent revelations challenge this long-held belief.
Humpty Dumpty: the classic nursery rhyme
The nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty” has been a beloved part of British culture for generations.
The familiar 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”—paint a vivid picture of a character’s unfortunate tumble.
Yet, nowhere in the rhyme do the lyrics specify that Humpty Dumpty is an egg.
The egg conundrum
Despite the lack of explicit mention, Humpty Dumpty is commonly depicted as an egg. This image is perpetuated through countless picture books and media adaptations.
One notable example is Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass”, where the character is explicitly portrayed as an egg.
This portrayal has led to a widespread, yet inaccurate, perception of Humpty Dumpty.
The unexpected origins
The question of why Humpty Dumpty is depicted as an egg, despite the rhyme itself not specifying this detail, has sparked considerable debate.
This depiction has become widely accepted, even though it is not mentioned in the original rhyme.
Author Holly Bourne brought this issue to light on social media, questioning the leap from the nursery rhyme to the egg-shaped character. “Who decided Humpty Dumpty was an egg?” she asked on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the seemingly arbitrary nature of this portrayal.
The reaction from the public has been one of surprise and curiosity. Many are expressing disbelief at this revelation.
One person said: They made him an egg so the nursery rhyme was less traumatic; all nursery rhymes were originally very gruesome
A second wrote: Most nursery rhymes have a deeper meaning to them. Ring-a-ring-rosy= is about the plague
While a third commented:The only thing haunting me is I’m hungry and now I want eggs. Scrambled.
Another added: Well it’s gonna stay a egg to me lol
Someone else said: I always thought it was a migrant climbing a wall.
Experts offer several theories about Humpty Dumpty’s origins.
Jane Etheridge, Vice Chair of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, suggests that the character may have originally symbolized a Royalist cannon during the English Civil War.
She notes that “Roundhead propaganda” could have attributed the character’s downfall to political events.
Another theory links Humpty Dumpty to King Richard III’s defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.
Regardless of these theories, historians agree that the depiction of Humpty Dumpty as an egg is a more recent development.
This portrayal was not present in the earliest versions of the rhyme.
The realization that Humpty Dumpty was not originally conceived as an egg may be unsettling for some. However, it underscores the evolving nature of folklore and storytelling.