# First instance of the "Mass Lemming Suicide" myth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-instance-of-the-mass-lemming-suicide-myth/667599 "2013-08-30T18:29:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-instance-of-the-mass-lemming-suicide-myth/667599/1 "2013-08-30T18:29:30Z")
[Today’s BC strip](http://www.gocomics.com/bc/2013/08/30) invokes the myth, prompting one commenter to use [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/lemmings.asp) as a source to claim that the myth originated with the _White Wilderness_ “documentary”. This, of course, is not true. [Wikipedia mentions the use in a 1951 short story](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons) but surely there are earlier instances. I’m wondering when’s the earliest this was in use, at least in print. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-instance-of-the-mass-lemming-suicide-myth/667599/2 "2013-08-30T19:43:52Z")
> [@](#): > > A wanderer in the tree line in the Lappland mountains may suddenly see the gound covered by them for miles. They come by the millions, swimming rivers and climbing over mountain ridges. Then, either for lack of food or in conflict with natural enemies, they perish in masses. [Article from 1924](http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mzFFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hbsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3737,6061263&dq=lemmings&hl=en) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-instance-of-the-mass-lemming-suicide-myth/667599/3 "2013-08-30T19:45:26Z")
I can find newspaper articles as early as 1900 describing the lemmings’ migration and subsequent drownings in water. The also use the term “suicide.” ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-instance-of-the-mass-lemming-suicide-myth/667599/4 "2013-08-30T20:05:44Z")
Although it’s only a one-line mention at the very end, [here’s Cecil’s column mentioning it.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1878/does-any-animal-besides-humans-commit-suicide) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-instance-of-the-mass-lemming-suicide-myth/667599/5 "2013-08-30T20:17:11Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Although it’s only a one-line mention at the very end, [here’s Cecil’s column mentioning it.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1878/does-any-animal-besides-humans-commit-suicide) Nitpick: Column actually by erstwhile staffer extraordinaire Doug Yanega. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-instance-of-the-mass-lemming-suicide-myth/667599/6 "2013-08-31T04:19:56Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > [Article from 1924](http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mzFFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hbsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3737,6061263&dq=lemmings&hl=en) > [@samclem](#): > > I can find newspaper articles as early as 1900 describing the lemmings’ migration and subsequent drownings in water. The also use the term “suicide.” Interesting. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-instance-of-the-mass-lemming-suicide-myth/667599/7 "2013-09-01T14:57:52Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > [Today’s BC strip](http://www.gocomics.com/bc/2013/08/30) invokes the myth, prompting one commenter to use [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/lemmings.asp) as a source to claim that the myth originated with the _White Wilderness_ “documentary”. This, of course, is not true. The way I understand it, the documentarians believed it really happened, and that’s why they faked it, after having hoped they could make it happen spontaneously and failed. As Snopes says, faking stuff for nature documentaries was not uncommon, and most of the other films by Disney were faked, too. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-instance-of-the-mass-lemming-suicide-myth/667599/8 "2013-09-01T18:48:27Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > [Article from 1924](http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mzFFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hbsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3737,6061263&dq=lemmings&hl=en) That article doesn’t mention suicide though, it just describes the actual sight of massing lemmings in an exceptional lemming year.