Nusary Songs and rhyms. What do you think?

[Cevadeva]

This was brought to my attention a while back when I was talking with a friend of mine. The topic was about our nursery rhymes and songs. "Ring around the rosy" is about the Black Plague, "Miss Mary Mack" depression, and so on. When we went over some of the more popular(and the ones that we remembered) had some sort of twisted ,or sadistic, side to them. We thought that the nursery rhymes and songs were really, really, twisted and messed up. Especially with the fact that they are sung and done by little, young, innocent kids. I would like to know what you think about it.

Edited in:
I know that nursery is some what meant to be like that, about how it teaches little kids lessons without them realizing it. Although I would still like to know your own opinions on this somewhat general topic. Reason why I put it here rather than a chatterbox.  

[Itchyboobers]

Kids don't understand the dark side of nursery rhymes.
They just like the rhyming story or song.

By the way... some links if you want to read more
http://nemendur.khi.is/berghall/nurseryrhymes.htm
http://childrens-verse.suite101.com/article.cfm/understanding_ring_around_the_rosy  

[azrael the reaper_95210]

“Humpty Dumpty” referred to King Richard III, the hunchbacked monarch. At the Battle of Bosworth Field, he fell from his steed, a horse he had named “Wall” (as dramatically rendered in Shakespeare’s play “Richard III”: “A horse! A horse! My Kingdom for a Horse!”) Richard was surrounded by enemy troops in the battle, and was butchered right there, his body being hacked to pieces. Hence the final part of the rhyme: “All the King’s Horses and All the King’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again!”

heres a bunch of interpretations:

http://www.rooneydesign.com/MotherGoose.htm  

[SkysTheLimit3107]

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In my opinion, Ring around the Rosey was a way for the people experiencing the plague to make light of the situation. They would sing it and then laugh about how silly it sounded.

That's just my opinion, you can interpet it how you want too.


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[maddog012]

it is rediculus how parents don't tell their kids the meanings of them before they teach them to the kids. nursery rhymes are for creeps who like mice heads on their porch to eat for breakfast and the war stories of people of any culture, religeon, and country dying. plages and the depression should be poems about how people felt and the horror they went through for teens to recite in history class not for little children to learn about by accident in jolly little songs and games. the nerve of some people.  

[Ultra Sarah]

@maddog012
Most children don't learn about the plague because of the nursery rhyme. Some might, but not many. I don't think young children need to be afraid of their nursery rhymes, if they really want to know the origin, they should be told, but otherwise there really isn't any reason that they should know. Many things have terrible pasts, such as fairy tales and nursery rhymes, but that doesn't mean it still carries the same meaning at all. Now, they're just fairy tales and nursery rhymes.  

[Threedom the Nar-Whal]

one I heard many years ago when i was 4 from my older sister's friend said that 'Ring around the Rosie' referred to the 'Black Plague' or the 'Bubonic Plague'. I was told that 'Ring around the Rosie" ment the first sign of the plague, s small rosy coloured spot with a white ring around it. 'A Pocket full of Posies' was told to rid the air of the smell of death.'Ashes,Ashes; we all fall Down' means the person infected with the plague would die and to try to stop the plague from spreading they would creamate the bodies of the dead.  

[azrael the reaper_95210]

I'll tell you a really cool one I heard.

"london bridge is falling down" is reffering to ritual sacrifice!!!!!

long ago, when monuments and bridges and such got built, often the builders would leave for the night, and when they came back to build the next day the structure had fallen apart. They attributed it to "the spirits" in the area being angered. So to solve the issue, they would often capture a stranger passing through, or a small child, and sacrifice them to the spirits, or even build it on top of the person.
Think about it. As you play the game for this song, dont you often capture a person as ppl go under the other ppls arm-bridge? same thing...... capturing them for the sacrifice.......  

[DvnT]

snowangel_54321

one I heard many years ago when i was 4 from my older sister's friend said that 'Ring around the Rosie' referred to the 'Black Plague' or the 'Bubonic Plague'. I was told that 'Ring around the Rosie" ment the first sign of the plague, s small rosy coloured spot with a white ring around it. 'A Pocket full of Posies' was told to rid the air of the smell of death.'Ashes,Ashes; we all fall Down' means the person infected with the plague would die and to try to stop the plague from spreading they would creamate the bodies of the dead.

When I was seven, my day-care lady took me aside [from a whole group of about six kids] and told me that. But she told me that just playing the game gave you the disease. She said I already was starting to get it because when I start to get physicly tired, my cheeks get red, but the rest of my face gets really pale. ...
I havn't played the game scince...

 

[Ethurill]

I don't think it's really that bad. In most cases, when a child sings a nursery rhyme they don't know the original meaning. It's merely a simple rhyme.

They may have meant something long ago but it's like Christmas and Easter. Too commersialised to mean anything anymore.  

[x Essence of Moonlight x]

Yes, we picked up on that in our religious studies class. Many nursery rhymes end...unhappily, or have a twisted meaning. Jack and Jill is just one of them that doesn’t end happily- I mean he cracks his head open!.

However, 'ring around the rosey' is not actually from the black death. Many people believe it is, but I was actually written in the 18th century/1800…cant remember which.  

[xXSerial ExperimentXx]

They are pretty twisted.
My favorite is about an accused murderer named Lizzie Borden:
Lizzie Borden took an axe
Gave her mother forty whacks
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one. twisted  

[Starstruck Rainbow]

This reminds me of my favorite episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The whole thing was from a fairy tale. It was not only creepy becuase of that, but also the fact that the little kid was singing the song that goes with it. If you didn't know what was going on, then it would be really nice. The song was:

Can't even shout,
Can't even cry,
The gentlemen are coming by,
Looking in windows,
Knocking on doors,
They have to take seven,
And they might take yours.

Ok, nevermind the song is creepy. But you get the picture. The fact that the kids who learn nursery ryhmes have no idea what they're saying is sickening. I mean for all we know, if the right kid sings it, we'll all die.

And no, I am not crazy. I just have a very twisted imagination.  

[Virtus Fierkin]

oh yes....

Rockabye baby,
In a tree top...

okay, stop right there.... why on God's green Earth would you rock a baby..... IN A FREKIN TREETOP!?!?!?!

When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall.
Down will come baby,
Cradle, and all

WHAT THE FREAK!?!?! we are twisted creatures we humans...
"7  

[the greatest wizard]

i love a good Nursury rhym.....i actually have a whole book of them somewhere on the bookshelf..if i find it i'll place a few in here for your enjoyment.