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| Storks (Painting by Jozef Chelmonski) |
Reuters
recently reported that storks at the Bronx Zoo became surrogate parents.
An association between storks and parenthood has long been emphasized. Amelia Glynn explains that “in many cultures, storks represent fertility, springtime and good luck.”
In ancient Rome, a stork nest on the roof meant that Venus was pledging her eternal love to those residents. It has also been viewed as a good omen for homes in the Netherlands.
Adult storks tend to be really good parents to their young.
Glynn writes that they “continue to feed and care for their offspring long after they can fly.”
Parenting associations work both ways when it comes to stork folklore. Because the ancient Greeks believed that young storks care for their parents, they named an elder-care law pelargonia,
after the Greek word pelargos
(meaning “stork”).
Resources
http://blog.sfgate.com/pets/2011/05/08/where-did-the-delivery-stork-myth-originate/
Copyright August 21, 2015 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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