By Marcia King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com
When you think of nursery rhymes, you think of doting mothers putting their cherished kids to bed while reciting their favorite nursery rhymes. And what better way for mom and kids to bond than to repeat these catchy rhymes together.
Nursery rhymes were what my parents, and children of my generation grew up with. These rhythmic rhymes were passed down from one generation to another and still exist today. We smile when we hear them, and we test our memories to see if we can still recite them.
They make us think of better days. But so often these rhymes aren’t the catchy, lighthearted words that on the surface they appear to be.
There’s so much history behind them. Not all of it good. Many are political commentary and some are dark with warning.
This month’s blog is supposed to be about hope.
So, what am I hoping? I am hoping that we
can still look back on these rhymes fondly, as they transport us to a time when
we felt safe, happy and secure. How ironic, since they aren’t exactly what they appear to
be. Let me explain.
Take for example, Baa, Baa, Black Sheep (1731.) It’s said to be about the tax placed on wool in 1275 and goes something
like this.
Baa, baa, black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir
Three bags full
One for the master
And one for the dame
One for the little boy
Who lives down the lane
Supposedly, the word black and
master are meant to be racial in nature. In fact, in the latter part of
the 20th century some schools banned the rhyme. Some even switched
out the word black for something considered to be less offensive.
Goosey Goosey Gander (1784)
Goosey goosey gander,
Whither
shall I wander?
Upstairs
and downstairs,
And in my
lady's chamber.
There I met
an old man,
Who
wouldn't say his prayers,
So I took
him by his left leg,
And threw
him down the stairs.
This is actually said to be a rhyme based on the religious
persecution of the day. Catholic priests were not allowed to say their
Latin-based prayers, even in the privacy of their own homes. Imagine having to
hide to pray?
Then there’s Mary, Mary, quite Contrary (1744) which
went something like this:
Mary, Mary,
quite contrary
How does
your garden grow?
With silver
bells and cockleshells
And pretty maids
all in a row
Allegedly,
this has nothing to do with gardening and more to do with what was going
on in the time period 1553-1558. This was the time when Queen Mary (Bloody Mary)
reigned. Queen Mary, a devout Catholic,
had protestants executed. Silver bells and cockleshells are the torture devices
used.
Then there
is Ring Around the Rosie (1881)
Ring-a-ring-a-roses,
A pocket
full of posies,
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall
down.
This rhyme
supposedly refers to the 1665 Great Plague of London. The Rosie refers to the
rash covering the afflicted, and the posies are the attempt to cover up the
stench as a result. Since 15% of the population died, ashes
are self-explanatory.
We wind down with Old Mother Hubbard.
Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard, to fetch her poor dog a bone. But when she got there the cupboard was bare And so, the poor dog had none.
The
story goes that this is a mockery of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who refused to
grant King Henry VIII an annulment so he could marry Anne Boleyn. This
supposedly later led to the Cardinals political downfall.
All this to say, that despite the politics of the day, plagues that took lives, and some of the worst atrocities committed, (sound familiar?) hope springs eternal and humankind still exists. We are a resilient group and we will soon put 2020 and the lessons learned behind us.
Like Richard Cromwell, who lasted only a short time as a monarch, it is countdown to change time. Hickory, Dickory, Dock is supposed to be about him.
Hickory, Dickory, Dock is a rhyme allegedly invented
to help kids tell time but really is symbolic of a countdown to change, and meant to indicate better days lie ahead.
Hickory,
dickory, dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock
To sum
up, hope keeps us alive and functioning. Without it, we wither up, die, and become
bitter people. And who wants to be around a downer? Not me.
Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble
originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the
same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and
current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National
Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free
time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, caring for her animal family,
and keeping sane, well not too sane.
Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com
or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS
Be sure to join her mailing list.
Marcia's latest releases are on Amazon.
Marcia
King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com
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8 comments:
Marcia,
Interesting post! I had no idea that these rhymes were created for adults, not children.
Even though these particular rhymes were not originally for entertainment of children, I will continue to say these rhymes to my grandchildren.
Luckily the reasons behind these rhymes are events which took place between 1553-1881.
My feeling is toddlers or young children should continue to enjoy the rhymes, for what they are now. Entertainment. When my young daughter was having trouble negotiating language, her speech therapist had me say rhymes with her for part of her in home practice. All the ones in this blog were part of that therapy .
Thanks again, for enlightening me.
Diana,
I grew up on these rhymes. They are part of my life and will always be. These rhymes helped me learn to read. I am just intrigued by their origins, especially since I grew up learning British history .
Marcia, I'm not surprised about the origins of these rhymes. Literacy was only for the aristocracy and clergy although shopkeepers, I believe, had the rudiments of reading, writing and doing sums. Grimm's Fairy Tales and other 'fables' were lessons to keep people in line and to keep children safe. If you convinced your children there was an ogre under the bridge, they would wander/cross it. Three Billy Goats Gruff I think is the name of that particular story.
Marcia- thanks for the reminder. I did know about the origin of these rhymes, but it is more fun to think of them as the surface words indicate, then dig into the not great meanings behind them. Having said that, knowing history is EXTREMELY important. Especially in this day and age.
PS - just started Last Chance Beach and look forward to reading your story.
Hi Judith,
Your immense knowledge never ceases to amaze me. That makes sense, literacy was for the privileged few
Deb,
Yes, so much better to not read into the rhymes. Can be depressing. Thanks for reading Last Chance Beach. You'll have to tell me what you think of One Last Shot.
Like you, I grew up with all of these rhymes and certainly had all the ones you mentioned memorized and games surrounding them. The background you provided I have learned over my lifetime, except Hickory Dickory Dock (thank you for that enlightement)
I was in middle-school (I think) when I first learned about the ring-around-the rosy rhyme meaning. Being a sensitive child I was devastated because it was such a fond memory of joining hands and moving in a circle then dropping to the ground. Having the knowledge of its meaning made me feel like I was stomping on the graves of those children by having fun.
Some of the others, where the meaning is more political comment, didn't bother me as much. It does make me wonder if the rhymes, and any play associated with it, were designed as a type of social media messaging of their time. OR was it a way to make life easier for those effected by making light of it--like comedians who make light of life and politics while actually excoriating the intended subject. Or maybe it was a combination of these things.
History is amazing and tells us so much. Thank you for sharing these insights.
Maggie, I think Judith makes a good point when she said back then only the aristocracy and certain professions were literate, so to her point overt messages were sent to keep people in line.
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