HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF THE FOLK BELIEF THAT INFANTSARE BROUGHT BY STORKS
Abstract
The article explores the historical origins of the belief that infants are brought by storks. Historical, folklore, and archaeological sources are used to examine ancient ideas about a mythical bird performing intermediary functions: carrying the souls of the dead to the other world and bringing back the souls of newborns. The belief that a stork brings an infant is interpreted as a later reinterpretation of an ancient concept in which a mythical bird (and subsequently a goddess) was believed to bring the souls of infants from the other world.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Folklore
Mythology
and Literature Studies
Cultural and Sociopolitical Studies
Cultural and Mythological Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Vestnik Altaiskogo Gosudarstvennogo Pedagogiceskogo Universiteta
- Issue
- 66
- Pages
- 95–99
- Publication date
- 16 March 2026
- Language
- EN