Maternal Impressions and Non-Human Animals As Children

[Guttersnipe]

A maternal impression is an obsolete idea that certain experiences of a woman might be physically transferred into her children. John Merrick, "the Elephant Man," was thought to have been born as he was according to this "theory."

Then you have the sooterkins of European folklore. They are mouse-like beings thought to come as an afterbirth from Dutch women who sat on stoves for warmth. Mary Toft was a woman who tricked scientists into believing she had given birth to rabbits.

Maternal impression - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Sooterkin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Mary Toft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Just an interesting time period in general.

 

[Yozh]

Hmm, wonder if sooterkins were the inspiration for “Stuart Little”?

 

[Swank]

Glad we've gotten away from crazy ideas like sooterkins, crack babies and so-called fetal alcohol syndrome!

 

[Mouse]

I've read about Mary Toft before. Dirty mare.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I've read about Mary Toft before. Dirty mare.

And her husband Warren.

 

[paranoid marvin]

A maternal impression is an obsolete idea that certain experiences of a woman might be physically transferred into her children. John Merrick, "the Elephant Man," was thought to have been born as he was according to this "theory."

Then you have the sooterkins of European folklore. They are mouse-like beings thought to come as an afterbirth from Dutch women who sat on stoves for warmth. Mary Toft was a woman who tricked scientists into believing she had given birth to rabbits.

Maternal impression - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Sooterkin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Mary Toft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Just an interesting time period in general.

No mention of the spider-baby?

 

[Guttersnipe]

Hmm, wonder if sooterkins were the inspiration for “Stuart Little”?

The wiki says this might be the case.

 

[Montero]

It was thought that teddy bears would warp little girls maternal instincts........

And yet in the wild there are instances of a mother of one species helping the young of another species - lioness helping a leopard cub for example.