Introduction

Nursery rhymes are a pin in many households. From “Mary Had a Little Lamb” to “Five Little Monkeys,” these rhymes have been handed down for generations & shared with children of all ages. However, there is more than satisfies the eye when it comes to some of these rhymes. Check out our list below & be fascinated by their real origin & twist!

Why do children love nursery rhymes?

Across the years, rhymes are passed down so that people can recognise history as a song. When we talk around nursery rhymes, it has been tweaked to not allow children to encounter difficult stories. But do you understand that most of the popular rhymes have unexpected origins & convey a different concept? Yes, that’s where the wrenches start. Here are nursery rhymes you wouldn’t have expected to have such a strange history.

London Bridge is Falling Down

We all adore this nursery rhyme, don’t we? It sounds like children are being taught compassion and empathy through this rhyme because they’re nervous about a possible collapse. But do you understand why the nursery rhyme was written? There are theories backed by specific proof stating that it could be about a Viking raid in 1014. More specifically, Olaf II of Norway is said to have destroyed London Bridge sometime in the early 1000s. So it’s not just about a falling bridge, it’s around an alleged war!

Jack and Jill

This is an amazing poem that teaches children to be cautious and not to go out without telling their parents. But the origin is more than that, & the twist is jack and jill are not young kids. They are Louis XVI of France & his wife, Marie Antoinette. The line mentioning Jack broke his height signifies how Louis XVI lost his throne followed by his wife, Maria who no elongate was the queen.

Ring Around The Rosie

It’s another nursery rhyme when children spin about holding hands to this nursery rhyme, everyone adores watching them having fun. But the twist to this turning song is that Rosie is not a person. It is a condition. The rhyme alludes to the Great Plague of London, which appeared in 1665. 

Baa Baa Black Sheep

The lyrics to this nursery rhyme are not solely about black sheep. It refers to the 13th century’s rivalry in England. King Edward I, set an extraordinarily severe wool tax on the farmers. The king received one-third of the wool, the Church received one-third, & the farmers received one-third. The twist here is, the line “one for the little boy” conveys how the farmers held to plead for their share like the boy arguing with the sheep.

Rock A Bye Baby

We all adore hearing this nursery rhyme as we sleep because the song sounds like a lullaby. Parents often would sing this to their child at night because it’s said that this poem stood written for the son of King James II of England & Mary of Modena. But the twist is that it’s thought that the boy wasn’t their son. Whoa!

Old Mother Hubbard

This nursery rhyme makes children feel unhappy because the poor dog was so hungry. After all, the old mother Hubbard had no food for it. But, in reality, the old mother Hubbard is a man & a dog is also a man. The story is said to go like King Henry wanted to end his marriage with his wife, Katherine. But Cardinal Wolsey wasn’t capable to help him, sadly.

Goosey, Goosey, Gander

This nursery rhyme’s melody is cool but often many complained that this famous rhyme made no sense. Well, you’ll know why now. Many Catholic priests refused to adopt the Protestant faith in England. And the man in this verse is pushed down from the stairs, denoting how such catholic clerics were punished if they weren’t praying like the protestants. This is bad, isn’t it? So you must make sure to appreciate everyone’s faith!

Final thoughts

These rhymes are extremely interesting, don’t you think? But what’s the point of telling them to children when they just like to have fun & sing songs in a good mood? Thus sharing these original facts & theories will increase their curiosity. So your child will hold how unfair back in time people were. So when you teach them nursery verses for communication & educational purposes, do include these interesting facts as well!