Rural reality contradicts the ethnographic literature – a nationwide survey on folk beliefs and people's affection for the stork in Poland

Abstract

Abstract Background Due to early synanthropization and ecological and behavioral features, the White Stork Ciconia ciconia became the most cherished of European birds. Rooted in human culture, the species has been well studied; nevertheless, knowledge of people’s attitudes and stork-related folk beliefs remain descriptive. Here, we attempt to quantify these issues in the world's largest stronghold of the species, Poland, in the 1950s. Methods The study is based on recently discovered, original nationwide survey data from the 1958 International White Stork Census. These materials were gathered to assess the population size, but they also included issues belonging to the humanities. We have worked them up in a quantitative manner, which has resulted in an original approach rarely found in ethnological studies. We aim to propose an original typology of stork-related beliefs, their spread and regional diversity in Poland and the relationship with stork abundance. Results A sample of 2343 questionnaires revealed that affection towards storks was widespread (91.4% positive responses), more so in eastern Poland. The most frequent beliefs relate to respect for the stork (65%) and prophesies (24%), thereafter parental beliefs (7%) and stork biology (3%). Positive attitudes and the dissemination of beliefs increased with stork densities but were unrelated to the respondents’ sex. Utilitarian beliefs outweighed those prioritized in ethnographic studies (e.g. the stork’s human origins) or popular today (baby-bringing), and expressed the real concerns of country folk. Conclusions The discovery of long-lost data bordering on ethnology and nature conservation and their novel work-up highlights a realistic dimension of the human-nature relationship and provides a benchmark for further interdisciplinary research.