posted September 02, 2006 12:06 AM         

a list of nursery rhymes, their origins and meanings.

The Secret History of the Nursery Rhyme

The Secret History of the Nursery Rhyme!
Many of the origins of the humble nursery rhyme reflect actual events in history! The secret meanings of the Nursery Rhyme have been lost in the passing of time. A nursery rhyme was often used to parody the royal and political events and people of the day. The humble Rhyme was used as a seemingly innocent vehicle to quickly spread subversive messages!

The Rhyme allowed an element of free speech!
A rhyme associates words with similar sounds using a rhyming couplet or short verse. A rhyme is often short and easy to remember and this was a critical element when many people were unable to read or write and a rhyme was verbally passed from generation to generation - it was also a vital element when commoners wanted to comment on the events of the day! It must be remembered that direct criticism or dissent would often have been punishable by death!


The Rhyme that led to Revolution!
The wording of an individual rhyme can often be associated with historical events and the plausible explanations given to many a rhyme can be seen as political satire. The first really important English rhyme dates back to the fourteenth century! This little rhyme was passed quickly from one person to another, was easily remembered and led to an English revolution - a call for recognition and class equality!

When Adam delved and Eve span
Who was then a gentleman

( To delve means to work and 'span' refers to spinning yarn
there was no class distinction when there was only Adam and Eve )

At this time the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) had ravaged England claiming the lives of a third of the population. Peasants realised that they were important to the England's economy. The 'Adam and Eve' rhyme was spread together with it's simple idea of equality. It helped to fuel the fire which culminated in the Peasants Revolt of 1381!

The Chapbooks
The Nursery Rhyme began to be printed in England as early as 1570! Printing allowed the production of books and cheap pamphlets, or Chapbooks. A chapbook is "a small book or pamphlet containing poems, ballads, stories, or religious tracts". More people during this time were learning to read but the chapbooks were also popular with people who could not read as they contained pictures, in the printed form of crude wood engravings - A Middle Ages equivalent of a Children's comic! So the Nursery Rhyme was then passed from one generation to the next by word of mouth and in a printed format.

posted September 02, 2006 12:12 AM         

Old Mother Goose
When she wanted to wander
Would fly through the air
On a very fine gander.

Mother Goose had a house;
It stood in the wood
Where an owl at the door
As sentinel stood.

The words of the original Old Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme can be interpreted to find a darker meaning to the identity of ' Mother Goose'! The title ' Mother Goose ' probably originates from the 1600's - the time of the great witch hunts. Comparisons can be made between the Mother Goose in the above children's poem and the popular conception of a witch during this era!

Witches were able to fly ( the broomstick has been replaced by a goose, hence the name - Mother Goose )

A witch was often portrayed as an old crone ( with no man to defend her against accusations of witchcraft)

Witches are closely associated with living alone ( house in the wood)

Witches were known to a have 'familiars' (most often cats but also owls! Just like the modern wizard Harry Potter whose owl is called Hedwig!)

The identity of the Mother Goose in the Nursery Rhymes was therefore a witch!

Witches, Familiars and Nursery Rhymes!
Animals like the Cat, Frog, Pig, Raven, Goat, Wolf, Goose, Crow, Bat and Mouse were believed to be the forms adopted by a Witches Familiar (an evil spirit, in animal form, who was used by the witch to perform evil deeds and cast malevolent spells). People were obsessed with witches during the 16th and 17th centuries when there was limited understanding of the cause of devastating events, such as storms, drought and disease. The disasters were believed to be brought about by supernatural forces which resulted in scapegoats (witches) being blamed. A book called the 'Malleus Maleficarum' was published in 1486 as guide used for the torture and persecution of witches - a best selling book of those times, only being out-sold by the Bible! Witchcraft was outlawed in England in 1563 and a Witchcraft Act was passed in 1604. The witchcraft hysteria grew and eventually led to the Parliamentary appointment of Matthew Hopkins as Witchfinder General in 1644. His task was to seek out witches (he was vigorous in his work as he was said to have been paid twenty shillings for each witch he condemned!) During his interrogations he was guided by books like the 'Malleus Maleficarum' which stated that an animal Familiar “always works with the witch in everything”. Many Nursery Rhymes originated in the 16th and 17th centuries and the children of these era's would have been familiar (sorry about the pun!) with stories of witches and witchcraft. Just look at the image of Mother Goose portrayed a witch with her familiar (the goose)! Is it therefore just a coincidence that so many of the Nursery rhymes of the periods featured the Cat, Frog, Pig, Goose, Raven, Goat, Wolf, Bat and Mouse?

The Categories of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
John Carnan published the first book of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes in 1780, although the first known collection of Nursery Rhymes was 'Tommy Thumb's Song book' published in 1744 - Mother Goose Origins. Prior to this date the content of children's poems were passed from one generation to the next by word of mouth. There are many theories about the history and origins regarding Mother Goose nursery rhymes but the lyrics and words of the actual poems remain constant. The Mother Goose nursery rhymes content tends to fall into four distinct categories:

The first category of Mother Goose nursery rhymes includes lullabies such as Rock a bye baby

The second type of Mother Goose nursery rhymes was for infant amusement and education where many of the counting and alphabet rhymes originate

The third section of Mother Goose nursery rhymes would include riddles for example As I was going to St. Ives

The fourth, lesser known, category of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes contains the Secret History of the Nursery Rhyme - reflecting the actual historical events and culture of the day and also used to spread subversive messages!

This site contains a massive database of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes which include lyrics, history, origins and pictures to accompany every tale as originally featured by publishers such as John Carnan. For further information about the first publications of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes in England, France and America please click the link to yet another of the nursery rhymes featuring Mother Goose...

posted September 02, 2006 08:36 AM         

I find it interesting that we are constantly taught these rhymes in childhood, when possibly we are more 'open' to understanding the underlying meanings and therefore implant them on our sub-conscience for later use...

A recent experience for me was when asking for a sign from the universe concerning a dear friend who had been out of touch a nursery rhyme implanted itself in my conscience,
"Little Bo peep has lost her sheep,
And doesn't know where to find them
Leave them alone and they'll come home
Wagging their tails behind them"
I did leave him alone, (and ok we don't live together - 'home' -) but he did return and we are friends again carrying on as before

When I read your post, wth regards to witches familiars I thought about the 'Three Blind Mice' rhyme,
"Three blind mice, three blind mice
See how they run, see how they run
They all ran after the farmer's wife
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife
Did you ever see such a thing in your life
As three blind mice"
Possibly this could be connected to the witch hunts, false accusations and strong denials by innocent women with, as you say, a man in their life to protect them (hence farmer's wife)

posted September 02, 2006 08:41 AM         

baa baa black sheep (slaves)
have you and wool? (cotton)
yes sir, yes sir 3 bags full