I thought it was a cannon and the rhyme retold a historical event: the king spent his money on an army of soldiers and horses instead of infrastructure (fixing the wall). All those horses and men cannot make up for the loss of the wall and cannon.
Iirc, the egg thing was not a solid part of the "meme" of humpty until Lewis Carroll. I might be crossing things up. But, depending on the origin one wants to pick from, our big dumpty friend from nursery rhymes could either be an egg, hump-backed king, a cannon, or just a clumsy person. Well, in terms of inspiration anyway; because of how history has turned it into an egg, and the lack of definitive record of origin, it's all a glorious mess lol.
Yeah, I don't know where this notion that he was an egg. I think it was Shrek or some similar thing that brought it to my attention that everyone thought he was supposed to be an egg.
I always thought he was just a dumb dude. Just pictured him court jester for most of my youth.
Humpty Dumpty was the name of a big cannon in the English civil war. It fell off a wall and broke. The other side made up the ryhme about it as a joke.
since childhood I always laughed at the mental image of the king getting so frustrated with the men he tries putting the horses up to the task and of course they can't do shit, they're horses
And I think humpty dumpty was understood to be a cannon or something. Which makes sense, you drop a cannon from high up enough that it shatters its probably not going to be put back together.
41 Comments
PugJesus@piefed.social · 38 pts · 124d
Me, slowly becoming Humpty-Dumpty-pilled
ouRKaoS@lemmy.today · 22 pts · 124d
I think I read somewhere that Humpty-Dumpty was a cannon?
dohpaz42@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 124d
And your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!
Sorry, it felt strangely appropriate for some reason.ouRKaoS@lemmy.today · 17 pts · 124d
I'll accept your apology if you bring me...
A shrubbery!
dohpaz42@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 124d
Best I can do are coconuts. 🥥 🥥
Maiq@piefed.social · 2 pts · 124d
Roger, is that you?
Inucune@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 124d
I thought it was a cannon and the rhyme retold a historical event: the king spent his money on an army of soldiers and horses instead of infrastructure (fixing the wall). All those horses and men cannot make up for the loss of the wall and cannon.
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 124d
Is it a reference to the muddy origins and possible meaning of the riddle/nursery rhyme?
PugJesus@piefed.social · 45 pts · 124d
Humpty-Dumpty is never explicitly described as an egg in the nursery rhyme.
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 124d
Thought it had to be something along those lines.
Iirc, the egg thing was not a solid part of the "meme" of humpty until Lewis Carroll. I might be crossing things up. But, depending on the origin one wants to pick from, our big dumpty friend from nursery rhymes could either be an egg, hump-backed king, a cannon, or just a clumsy person. Well, in terms of inspiration anyway; because of how history has turned it into an egg, and the lack of definitive record of origin, it's all a glorious mess lol.
MintyFresh@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 124d
I don't get it. How was humpty done poorly?
Kichae@lemmy.ca · 35 pts · 124d
Where is it ever stated that hems an egg?
xkbx@startrek.website · 11 pts · 124d
i usually hem with a needle
HuudaHarkiten@piefed.social · 5 pts · 124d
I'm not fit to touch the hem of your garment
TheOneAndOnly@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 124d
Yes, but are you intrinsically no good?
DahGangalang@infosec.pub · 11 pts · 124d
Yeah, I don't know where this notion that he was an egg. I think it was Shrek or some similar thing that brought it to my attention that everyone thought he was supposed to be an egg.
I always thought he was just a dumb dude. Just pictured him court jester for most of my youth.
dariusj18@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 124d
Lewis Caroll in the 1800s
Cethin@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 124d
TIL Shrek was first written in the 1800s. I'm glad they finally made the movie version!
LogicalDrivel@sopuli.xyz · 20 pts · 124d
Nah, was way before Shrek. I remember back in early 90s in elementary school seeing Humpty as an egg.
Archangel1313@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 124d
Care to share?
Soapbox@lemmy.zip · 28 pts · 124d
Humpty Dumpty was the name of a big cannon in the English civil war. It fell off a wall and broke. The other side made up the ryhme about it as a joke.
SolacefromSilence@fedia.io · 14 pts · 124d
Some say the cannon origin is misattributed as well, just another layer cough, another egg reference to this joke
Archangel1313@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 124d
Today I learned.
Thank you.
PugJesus@piefed.social · 12 pts · 124d
Humpty-Dumpty is never explicitly described as an egg in the nursery rhyme.
DancingBear@midwest.social · 4 pts · 124d
sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz · 26 pts · 124d
For those wondering about the Humpty reference (no egg):
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the King's men
Could not put Humpty together again.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the King's men
Could not put Humpty together again.
For those wondering about the Humpty dance.
janus2@lemmy.zip · 30 pts · 124d
since childhood I always laughed at the mental image of the king getting so frustrated with the men he tries putting the horses up to the task and of course they can't do shit, they're horses
aaaa@piefed.world · 15 pts · 124d
But the horses were listed first, so I assume they were his first choice.
Which to me means he had absolutely no confidence in his men from the start
janus2@lemmy.zip · 11 pts · 124d
"Your Highness! Someone has fallen off a wall and broken into pieces, and we barely understand rudimentary surgery!"
"Send in the horses!"
"Y-your Highness? Surely at least the men—"
"You heard me, send the horses!"
Donkter@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 124d
And I think humpty dumpty was understood to be a cannon or something. Which makes sense, you drop a cannon from high up enough that it shatters its probably not going to be put back together.
otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 124d
Ohhh, I'd never heard of that —and I've been around for quite a while! 🤩🖖🏼
zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 124d
Thank you for spreading the Humpty Dance to those that were unfortunate enough to have never heard its greatness.
sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 123d
I heard it a couple of weeks ago for the first time in I don't know how long. It's still a banger.
aberrate_junior_beatnik@midwest.social · 18 pts · 124d
Humpty Dumpty comin' in hot with the "first time?" 1.5+ millennia later
SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml · 18 pts · 124d
I'm sorry but I cannot unsee the Humpty similarity
Agent641@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 124d
Cantstanzya!
Danarchy@lemmy.nz · 17 pts · 124d
Humpty Dumpty predates Mary M, most famously appearing in cuneiform tablets selling questionable copper
squron@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 124d
Ea-nasir!!
otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 124d
More like Ugh-nasir. 🤌🏼
StillAlive@piefed.world · 13 pts · 124d
Dan Brown tried to fix that, Mrs. Yeshua.
HuudaHarkiten@piefed.social · 8 pts · 124d
The renowned author Dan Brown?
https://onehundredpages.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/dont-make-fun-of-renowned-dan-brown/
otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 124d
The boys just called him Yeshy. 🙏🏾