Animal Myths From Around the World

The baby-delivering stork is a beloved animal myth in Europe and the U.S.—especially for parents looking to answer that perennial childhood question, "How did I get here?"
 In the early 20th century, anthropologist and folklorist Elsie Clews Parsons documented numerous conception myths around the world, from spirit-inhabited boulders in Australia catching women unawares to the paternity of Alexander the Great via serpent. Anthropologist Alexander F. Chamberlin wrote in 1896 of international myths that describe children emerging from natural landscapes, including caverns and cabbage patches.
 As for the stork, the Greeks and Romans considered it to be a real family bird.
The National Zoo says that European white storks form monogamous pairs—though the partnerships aren't for life. This temporary monogamy, along with their diligent efforts at child care, including disgorging food for their young, would have given the birds a rep as model parents. Storks also seem comfortable living among us, which may contribute to the animals' association with home and family.

 From the baby-delivering stork to the sacrificial lamb, people have long used animals in their legends and religion.