People are just realising Humpty Dumpty isn't an egg and it's 'haunting' them

07 January 2024 , 10:00

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Humpty Dumpty is not an egg contrary to popular belief (Image: Getty Images)

Turns out, our entire childhood is a lie.

Humpty Dumpty is perhaps one of the most popular nursery rhymes that still has the power to throw Brits across the nation into a big-warm cuddle of fond nostalgia. In fact, you're probably humming the tune now and being transported back to innocent youth.

However, the beloved character is often depicted as an anthropomorphic egg, one that cracks his shell when falling off the wall. There are a plethora of picture books, that are probably gathering dust in your attic, that show the eponymous character as an egg with eyes, a nose, and mouth. Even in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland sequel, Humpty Dumpty is very much an egg.

The lyrics make no mention of an egg at all. In case you need a reminder, here they are: 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, why does he appear time and time again as an egg? It's a good question and one author Holly Bourne posed on X (formerly known as Twitter) last year. "Who decided Humpty Dumpty was an egg? Its not in the lyrics, and deciding he's a giant egg is quite a random leap for someone to make, and everyone else being like, 'yeah, a giant egg on a wall. Of course,'" she wrote.

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And she's not the only one who has been wondering. "This has been haunting me for years," read one reply. "This has bugged me for a long time!!" said a second. Meanwhile, several other commenters who had just made the realisation were keen to discover the answer. "This is genuinely the first time I've realised he's not explicitly an egg," a responder revealed. Another asked: "Oh my goodness how did I not realise this?"

The character was portrayed as an egg by Sir John Tenniel in Through The Looking Glass (Getty Images)

'He's not explicitly an egg' (Wikipedia)

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Thankfully, those in the know were quick to share their expertise. Jane Etheridge, Vice Chair of Federation of Children's Book Groups, replied: "It's believed to be Roundhead propaganda about a Royalist cannon. First appearance as an egg was in Through the Looking Glass.

Other theories include that Humpty Dumpty tells the story of King Richard III and his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.So, there you have it. Regardless of their differing theories, the one thing historians can agree on is the Humpty Dumpty did not start out life as an egg. In fact, he might represent something much darker.

Liam Gilliver