Every now and then a strange story makes the rounds through people's email inboxes. Such a story might become popular for a while, bouncing from Facebook, to email, to Twitter, before eventually fading away, only to resurface a year or two later. One of these peculiar memes involves photos of tiny babies just a few inches long, usually held in someone's hand. These so-called "Marzipan babies" surely capture people's imaginations, but are they truly tasty, if somewhat disconcerting, delicacies or just an internet wives' tale?
Who Are the Marzipan Babies?
A better question is, "What are Marzipan babies?" They are cute, tiny baby figures usually shown in photos being cradled in someone's hand. The story that accompanies such images makes the claim that the infant depictions are the work of a skilled baker who crafts the amazingly detailed sculptures from Marzipan, a sweet and easily molded paste of almonds and sugar. Apparently, "Marzipan babies" are exquisite cake decorations.
A better question is, "What are Marzipan babies?" They are cute, tiny baby figures usually shown in photos being cradled in someone's hand. The story that accompanies such images makes the claim that the infant depictions are the work of a skilled baker who crafts the amazingly detailed sculptures from Marzipan, a sweet and easily molded paste of almonds and sugar. Apparently, "Marzipan babies" are exquisite cake decorations.
What is the Controversy About Marzipan Babies?
As soon as the story of Marzipan babies appeared on the internet, it was immediately doubted by some and embellished by others. Some assumed the photos were of life-like dolls or toys. Others said the images were hoaxes and feature pictures of real babies manipulated to resemble hand-sized baubles.
What is the Truth Behind Marzipan Babies?
As oddly cute as the story is, the reality is that Marzipan babies are not made of Marzipan at all. However, the claim is half-correct: they are hand-sized or even thumb-sized sculptures. In fact, the "Marzipan babies" are genuine photos of the fine work of artist Camille Allen who specializes in small sculptures of babies. Unlike Marzipan, though, these exquisite little sculptures are unlikely to taste very good: they are worked in polymer clay and mohair.
As oddly cute as the story is, the reality is that Marzipan babies are not made of Marzipan at all. However, the claim is half-correct: they are hand-sized or even thumb-sized sculptures. In fact, the "Marzipan babies" are genuine photos of the fine work of artist Camille Allen who specializes in small sculptures of babies. Unlike Marzipan, though, these exquisite little sculptures are unlikely to taste very good: they are worked in polymer clay and mohair.
Are There any Related Urban Myths or Chain Emails?
Yes. Images of baby sculptures by Camille Allen occasionally accompany claims that the figures are crafted of chocolate, soap, or some substance other than Marzipan. Occasionally, one of these photos comes with an inspirational chain email from the late 1990s. Commonly titled "The Smell of Rain," this email tells the story of a premature baby named Danae Blessing. While the story is basically true, the baby sculpture photos sometimes attached to it are completely unrelated.
The speed of the internet often allows strange stories to gain a life of their own, whether truthful or not. The tale of the detailed "Marzipan babies" depicted in so many blogs, emails, and social networking websites is especially compelling because it is both cute and completely believable. For this reason, this urban legend has earned quite a lot of staying power. Even though the weird "Marzipan babies" wives' tale is easily debunked, it still occasionally lands in inboxes, comment sections, and social feeds year after year. Text Source
Source — Camilleallen, Weird.answers
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