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- Nursery rhymes provide bite-sized learning opportunities for young children to develop key developmental skills and can often be the trigger for hours of creative and open-ended play. They are a powerful learning source in early literacy and enable children to become interested in the rhythm and patterns of language.
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- Jack Sprat (1639) Jack Sprat wasn’t a person but a type—a 16th-century English nickname for men of short stature. That likely accounts for the opening line, “Jack Sprat did eat no fat, and his wife could eat no lean.”
- Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake, Baker’s Man (1698) What first appeared as a line of dialogue in English playwright Thomas D’Urfey’s "The Campaigners" from 1698 is today one of the most popular ways to teach babies to clap, and even learn their own names.
- Baa, Baa, Black Sheep (1744) Although its meaning has been lost to time, the lyrics and melody have changed little since it was first published. Regardless of whether it was written about the trade of enslaved people or as a protest against wool taxes, it remains a popular way to sing our children to sleep.
- Hickory, Dickory Dock (1744) This nursery rhyme likely originated as a counting-out game (like “Eeny Meeny Miny Moe”) inspired by the astronomical clock at Exeter Cathedral.
- The Origin of Lullabies
- "Three Blind Mice"
- "Ring Around The Rosie"
- "London Bridge (Is Falling Down)"
- "Humpty Dumpty"
- "Rock-A-Bye Baby"
- "Jack and Jill"
- "Baa Baa Black Sheep"
- "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary"
- "Little Boy Blue"
Did you know... "Lullaby" is a derivative from Jewish folklore meaning "Lilith abi" which, when translated to the English tongue, simply means "Lilith, go away." Lilith, a she-demon, was said to have been Adam's first wife (before Eve), so the term "lullaby" was coined in order to protect children from her. Throughout history, lullabies and nursery...
The "farmer's wife" refers to Queen Mary I, otherwise known as Bloody Mary, the one who burned hundreds of Protestant "heretics" in Tudor England. The "three blind mice" were three noblemen who were convicted of plotting against her and who, as a result, she had burned alive at the stake.
This nursery rhyme references The Black Deathin Europe, a bubonic plague pandemic that lasted from 1346 to 1352. The plague would appear as black sores on the bodies of the afflicted. People stuffed "posies," a type of flower, into their pockets so they couldn't smell the dead bodies that were piling up everywhere. The ashes fell after they burned ...
There are several theories and stories about the meaning and origins of this very popular nursery rhyme. 1. One has it referring to the Vikings' attack on the bridge in 1009. 2. Another fable is that the bridge's foundation was made of human children's remains, and the only way to keep the bridge standing was to offer another child as a sacrifice t...
There is no evidence as to where history places thissimple little quatrain,but there are a number of theories. The version we know today was first published in 1810. Some believe it refers to the average village drunkard and others believe it's a reference to King Richard III of England, who was often portrayed with a humpback. The story is that Ki...
If you listen to the words of the version we know today, you can easily assume it depicts a horrific setting for a child. One popular story is that the child in the rhyme is the son of James VII, who some believed was smuggled into the birthing chamber in order to give James a Catholic heir. The wind is thought to refer to James's family members co...
People often question the validity of this nursery rhyme since water is typically found at the bottom of a hill instead of at the top. However, other theories suggest that it has a much deeper meaning than originally thought. Jack and Jill are assumed to represent France's King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, a couple that was said to be gree...
Although it was first published in 1731, many believe that this fun little nursery rhyme was in reference to the heavy taxes that were placed on wool in 1275. However, many others say that it was in connection with the slave trade of the Americas. There has been controversy over the words "black" and "master" in the rhyme, some interpreting these a...
This is said to be a reference to Queen Mary I of England (also known as Bloody Mary), written to heckle her time on the throne. "Contrary" describes her style of leadership, and "How does your garden grow" mocks her inability to produce living children. Mary I, a Catholic, was widely known for her persecution of over 300 Protestants during her rei...
One interpretation is that Little Boy Blue was in reference to Cardinal Wolsey, who was the son of a butcher and was also a hayward. In the 18th century, cows eating ("in the corn") and sheep eating large amounts was believed to have made the animals extremely sick, thus a foul idea may be portrayed in this nursery rhyme. Regardless of what you cho...
Oct 25, 2022 · Origins and Meaning. The earliest printing of the English nursery rhyme comes to us from about 1744 and since then the words of “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” have not changed dramatically at all. The...
- Jacob Uitti
- 3 min
- Senior Writer
A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and other European countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. From the mid-16th century nursery rhymes began to be recorded in English plays, and most popular rhymes ...
TitleSupposed OriginEarliest Date KnownMeaning Supported By EvidenceKing Arthur as leader of the Wild HuntLate 18th century (Britain)ConjecturalThe slave trade; medieval wool taxc. 1744 (Britain)Medieval taxes were much lower than two ...1844 (Britain)Given the recent recording the medieval ...1784 (Britain)No evidence that it is linked to the ...- Baa, Baa, Black Sheep // 1731. Though most scholars agree that “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” is about the Great Custom, a tax on wool that was introduced in 1275, its use of the color black and the word master led some to wonder whether there was a racial message at its center.
- Goosey Goosey Gander // 1784. It’s hard to imagine that any rhyme with the phrase goosey goosey in its title could be described as anything but feel-good.
- Jack and Jill // 1765. One of the most common theories surrounding the story’s origin is that it’s about France’s Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, who were both found guilty of treason and subsequently beheaded.
- London Bridge Is Falling Down // 1744. In 2006, Fergie got saucy with some of this classic kid tune’s lyrics. But the original song wasn’t much better.
Nursery rhyme, verse customarily told or sung to small children. The oral tradition of nursery rhymes is ancient, but new verses have steadily entered the stream. A French poem numbering the days of the month, similar to “Thirty days hath September,” was recorded in the 13th century; but such.
For most of us, nursery rhymes are the first poems we ever encounter in life. They can teach us about rhythm, and about constructing a story in verse, and, occasionally, they impart important moral lessons to us. More often than not, though, they make no sense at all.
