Rodent Spotlight: Lemming

Behold! The lemming! A rodent that is famed across the world for such a distasteful act as mass suicide! Indeed, this is quite the peculiar perception, but the lemming has been painted as a chronic depressive since as far back as the 1500s. This is, of course, a total misconception.

Now, where it is true that lemmings will march in mass formation to their deaths, it is not entirely why they are doing it. You see, lemmings are migratory rodents that have this tenancy to move from one place to another as nature compels them to do so. Nature does not, however, tell them that they must leap from the nearest cliff to a very dire end. No, death is often a sad happenstance of the migratory process.

As it turns out, crossing a rushing stream of water while being a tiny, little rodent is a much harder proposition than at first conceived on paper. I am quite sure these little guys planned it out well enough, but sometimes the best laid plans of lemmings and men often go astray. Some make it, however, and go on to live happy, fulfilling lives that extend as far as he is able to survive. What a shame they have not evolved to the point where they can develop a good, sturdy set of water-wings.

Despite the reputation of the lemmings being a complete sham, they still are commonly equated with mass suicide in fiction as well as everyday banter. A group of people following a madman or a cult might be equated to lemmings. They are, after all, following a group mentality to an assuredly dire fate.

In the 1991 video game "Lemmings," players had the arduous task of saving the lives of the poor creatures who were happy to walk off the edge of a cliff unimpeded. In this case, these creatures were not so much called to death--as is commonly depicted--but rather just entirely stupid.

I was happy to see a lemming character within "The Welkin Weasels" book series. He was a musician by trade. Poor thing was content to bring the house down on top of him as he played his final tune. Beautifully told if not somewhat morbid.

As for myself, I feel that the suicidal stereotype is unfair to the little rodent; however, it is what it is. In my own fiction, I would make them out to be a creature driven by the fickle hands of nature. They are driven onward to do terrible things, and only they must attempt to rise above such forces. I am not a fan of pointless existences. There must be a way to break free of such things, and I shall always show such attributes in my writings. But in the end, there is no denying that the lemming will be forever remembered as one who willingly marched forth into the hands of death itself. If only they had a boat!

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