Dumbo: Why is Disney’s little elephant called that?

Early in their history, between Fantasia and Bambi, the artists at Disney Studios decided to dedicate a fourth feature film to the story of the little flying elephant in a traveling circus. Adapted from Helen Anderson’s children’s book, it’s obviously Dumbo.

Since the release of the feature film (more than 80 years ago today), the charming elephant has destroyed the first memories of several generations of viewers from the enchanted studios. But even if you grew up watching Dumbo learn to fly, have you ever wondered what his name was?

• Dumbo: Press pause at 5 minutes and 52 seconds and take a good look at this panel!

Jumbo + dumb = dumb

As we mentioned above, it was between the pages of a children’s book that an elephant was born, already endowed with the name we know. Even if the Disney movie doesn’t really explain this, the book tells us that his original name is Jumbo, and that after a failed act, he was given a nickname by circus clowns. dumbo The nickname comes from the English word “mute”, which means “idiot”.

Who is the real jumbo?

As for the name Jumbo, it was actually borrowed from a real African elephant whose tragic story made him infamous around the world in the late 19th century. A true circus star, he was captured in Sudan at the age of one, sent to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, and then to London Zoo. It was at that point that his new guardian decided to nickname him Jumbo, a reference to two Swahili words: “jumbo” meaning “hello” and “jumbe” meaning “boss”.

Unfortunately, after carrying hundreds of children on his back, Jumbo was sent to America where he tragically died at the age of 24 in a train accident when he was hit by a locomotive. A scary story that clearly has nothing to do with a Disney movie.

(Re)discover our full video dedicated to ‘Dumbo’…