The Woman Who Swallowed a Fly: History and Origins of a Cumulative Tale
Few songs capture the whimsical absurdity of folk storytelling quite like the tale of the woman who swallowed a fly. This cumulative tale—a narrative structure where each new action or item added to the story repeats all previous elements—follows a nonsensical progression. In this story, an old woman swallows increasingly larger animals, each intended to catch the one previously swallowed, ultimately meeting her demise after swallowing a horse.
While the song is widely recognized today, its lyrics have seen many variations over the decades, particularly in how the act of swallowing each animal is described.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]Key Facts
- Earliest Record: First mentioned in the British Newspaper Archive in 1872.
- Original Title: Early versions were titled "Poor Mrs Somebody."
- Early Credits: Lyrics attributed to Frank W. Green with music by Alfred Lee.
- Genre: Originally performed as a "comic extravaganza" in London music halls.
- Structure: A cumulative tale that escalates from a fly to a horse.
Early Performances and Popularity
The song first gained traction in the late 19th century within the vibrant scene of London music halls. An 1872 report in The Era describes a show called "Britannia's Picture Gallery" at the Polytechnic, featuring a comic extravaganza about "Mrs Somebody," a woman whose "doleful fate it was to swallow a fly."
By 1873, the song was a hit at Berner's Hall in Islington, where a performer named Mr. W. Freeman won cordial applause for his recital. The song's popularity persisted through the century; in 1879, Mr. Howard Baker performed "Poor Mrs Somebody" at Crowder's, and by 1888, records show the sequence had already expanded to include a spider and a bird.
The song's ability to "convulse" audiences with laughter was well-documented. In 1887, a recital by Mr. Blenham at the Walthamstow Art School left the audience in stitches, and in 1896, the Indian Daily News reported that Colonel Chatterton delighted both children and adults with his "inimitable" version of the song.
Global Spread and Later Recitals
The song's appeal extended far beyond the music halls of London. In 1943, Dorothy B. King recalled a "knockout" performance during a Wren evening, where an officer's realistic delivery of the woman swallowing a fly, a cat, and a dog left the packed hall laughing uncontrollably.
By 1947, the song had reached the United States. The journal Hoosier Folklore published three different versions of the story collected from Colorado, Georgia, and Ohio. While the animals and rhymes varied between these regional versions, the core plot remained identical: the story begins with a fly and ends with the death of the protagonist after swallowing a horse.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]Theories on Origins
The exact origins of the song remain uncertain, but historians suggest it may have been inspired by a real-life medical anecdote involving the London surgeon John Abernethy. Upon his death in 1831, reports circulated about a young woman who had swallowed a spider.
According to the account, Abernethy caught a blue-bottle fly and instructed the patient to put it in her mouth, suggesting that if she spat it out, the spider would come with it. Over time, this story mutated. By the early 20th century, the Glasgow Observer reported a version where Abernethy allegedly sent a spider down into the patient's lungs to catch a fly, eventually producing both insects in a test tube to prove the cure.
| Period/Year | Context/Source | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1831 | John Abernethy Anecdote | Possible inspiration involving a spider and a fly. |
| 1872 | The Era (London) | First reference to "Mrs Somebody" and the song's lyrics. |
| Late 1800s | London Music Halls | Became a popular comic act across various venues. |
| 1943 | Wren Evening Recital | Evidence of the song's continued popularity in the 1940s. |
| 1947 | Hoosier Folklore | Documentation of regional variations in the United States. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cumulative tale?
A cumulative tale is a story or song where each new element added to the plot requires the repetition of all previous elements, creating a building effect that often leads to a comedic or absurd climax.
Who wrote the original song?
Early records from 1872 credit the lyrics to Frank W. Green and the music to Alfred Lee.
What happens at the end of the song?
In almost all versions, the story concludes with the woman swallowing a horse, which results in her death.
Was the song based on a true story?
While the song is nonsensical, it may have been inspired by a reported medical case involving surgeon John Abernethy, who used a fly to help a patient remove a swallowed spider.
Where was the song most popular in its early years?
The song was a significant hit in the London music halls during the late 19th century, often performed as part of comic extravaganzas.