Truth, we all know, can be a fluid thing. Like a rubber band that stretches and twists to fit the shape of the situation. One moment it’s strong and unbreakable, the next it’s been warped beyond all recognition. For example, what’s really in an egg? And by egg we mean a sentient one, really big, sitting on a wall, having a chat.
Once upon a time, in a kingdom maybe not so far away, there was a character named Humpty Dumpty. He was a rotund and jovial fellow, known for his love of eggnog and singing cryptic nursery rhymes. As the story goes:
It’s a classic, beloved nursery rhyme made truly famous in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass (1871) in which Humpty appears as a fussily exacting egg-head who corrects Alice’s grammar and discusses the value and meaning of words. (More about this later)
The rhyme first appeared in Samuel Arnold’s Juvenile Amusement, published in 1797, though the third line was slightly different – “Four-score men and four-score more”.
Generations have grown up with this story. Yet, things aren’t necessarily as they seem. By all historical accounts, Humpty wasn’t actually an egg. In fact, the rhyme never even references an egg.
According to some historians, Humpty Dumpty was the name of a cannon used by the Royalists during the English Civil War (1642-1649). Humpty (the cannon) was stationed on the walls of Colchester. The walls were heavily damaged by artillery fire and, yes, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and broke into pieces.
Others speculate that Humpty Dumpty referred to Richard III of England, who was depicted as humpbacked and brittle, he is likened to an egg. His subsequent defeat in battle despite his large army (all the King's men and all the King's horses) made some believe that the rhyme originated from this historical occurrence.
So that’s it then, right? Perhaps not. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, in the 17th century, the term "humpty dumpty" referred to a drink of brandy boiled with ale. “Humpty Dumpty" was also eighteenth-century slang for a short and clumsy person.
Humpty Dumpty was popularized in the United States on Broadway before the publication of Through The Looking Glass by actor George L. Fox in the pantomime musical Humpty Dumpty.
The show ran from 1868 to 1869 becoming, at the time, the longest-running show on Broadway.
Well, at least we can rest assured that Humpty Dumpty is the only nursery rhyme that isn’t quite what it seems, right?! Not so fast….
“Jack & Jill”,
a rhyme about children rolling down a hill, originated in France in reference to King Louis XVI (Jack) and Queen Marie Antoinette (Jill) who were both guillotined in 1793 “Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after.”
“Mary, Mary Quite Contrary” isn’t about an older woman’s interest in flowers,
but references Mary Tudor I of England, known best for her bloody reign. “How does your garden grow?” refers to Bloody Mary’s growing graveyard of executed Protestants.
“Georgie Porgie Pudding & Pie” is said to satirize George Villiers, the 1st Duke of Buckingham, a scandalous playboy in his day.
George was said to play both fields, first with King James I then with many ladies of the court, eventually being knighted as Gentleman of the Bedchamber.
What on earth are we to make of all this “misinformation”? Let’s see what Humpty has to say about it.
In Humpty Dumpty’s appearance in Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, Alice remarks that Humpty is "exactly like an egg," which Humpty finds to be "very provoking" in the looking-glass world. Alice clarifies that she said he looks like an egg, not that he is one. They discuss semantics and pragmatics when Humpty Dumpty says, "my name means the shape I am."
Later in the conversation:
"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,' " Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't—till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!'" "But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument'," Alice objected. "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all."
So you see, Humpty Dumpty was not what he seemed at all. In fact, he was a master of misinformation, using his charming demeanor to spread false information to the masses.
Perhaps the egg was the truth, the wall on which he sat the lies that surround us. And when Humpty had his great fall, it was the collapse of truth.
As we continue to celebrate the timeless tale of Humpty Dumpty, we should keep in mind the real story (stories) behind the story. A cautionary tale for our modern times - for the child in all of us - where the lines between fact and fiction are so often blurred.
Tell us about your favorite fairy tale in the comments below.
Loved this one. Seems to me there've been a heck of a lot of Humpty Dumpty politicians down through the years...
This post knocked me off the wall
I hope that the collapse of the truth has yet to happen.
I knew most of the stories behind a lot of nursery rhymes, but the Mary Mary and the Gorgie Porgie were new! How the first serial killer and sexual predator. Well maybe not the first but the first famous ones.
Back to the truth, let’s hope that it eventually recovers and truth speaks up. Although truth has always been bent to our will. History is littered with it…. So maybe it’s not about truth, but about the facts. Truth brings together facts with beliefs.
Who knew that a story about nursery rhymes could be so deep.
Didn't see that philosophical gem-of-an-ending coming. Well played.