jack and Jill | The Haunted Palace The Haunted Palace ~ History, Reviews and the Supernatural Search: ≈ 1 Comment Tags Abbot Whiting , Alexander Pope , Ambrose Philips , baa baa black sheep , Bloody Mary , dissolution of the monasteries , french revolution , Glastonbury Abbey , great wool tax , jack , jack and Jill , Kitty Fisher , knave , Little Jack Horner , Lucy Locket , nursery rhymes , origins , Richard Whiting , thomas horner Image: public domain(?) We all grow up learning nursery rhymes but how many of us know of the darker, underlying meanings behind some of our most popular and seemingly innocent poems. I remember asking my mother to sing “Seesaw Margery Daw, Johnny shall have a new master, He shall earn but a penny a day, Because he can’t work any faster” not knowing that we were actually laughing about child slave labour in workhouses [1] . Nowadays we have only to open up a newspaper or turn on the television to be confronted with images or articles on social inequality, religious intolerance or political discontent but go back six hundred years and it was a whole different ballgame.

It is nearly impossible to stop people from venting their grievances especially when faced with deep injustice but fear of the consequences did shape how they expressed them. One such way was through the composition of punchy verses which on the surface seemed nonsensical but which often contained hidden or barely veiled criticism of prominent figures or institutions which if expressed openly could have had serious repercussions for the teller such as loss of status, property, goods, freedom or life. Nursery rhymes also served another purpose, the catchy tunes were easy to remember and enabled a largely illiterate population to learn and pass on stories from generation to generation creating and expanding an important oral tradition. Ballad singer. image source unknown. The meanings of some nursery rhymes were ascribed in the nineteenth century; others have verified historical roots whilst the origins of many have been lost due to the passage of time. Despite the disputed background of some of the rhymes, what is not in doubt is that nursery rhymes are one of the most fascinating but neglected body of work in the English language. Sinister undertones: A look at four nursery rhymes Ba Ba Black Sheep Bah, Bah, a black Sheep, Have you any Wool?

One for the Little Boy That lives in the lane (First written version known from Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book, c.1744) Image by Dorothy M Wheeler 1916. Via Wikimedia. This popular nursery rhyme has suffered a bit of a black lash in recent times. In the 80s and 90s the rhyme was under attack by critics who accused it of having racist connotations. Despite the rhyme’s supporters calling it political correctness gone mad, many groups jumped on the bandwagon insisting that the word ‘black’ should be replaced with other adjectives such as little, big, hopping, pink and happy [2] . In actual fact the poem has no connections with racism at all but is believed to refer to the Great Wool Tax of 1275 which saw the crown for the first time implement a taxation system on what had been up to that point free trade. Wool was probably the most important commodity exported in England at that time and the tax would have dealt a serious financial blow to the small tenant farmers and merchants. The tax per sack of exported wool was set at 6s 8d and the property confiscated of anyone found evading the charge [3] .

Illustration for the rhyme from Mother Goose’s Melody, first published c. 1765 In the rhyme ‘master’ refers to the tax given to the king and ‘dame’ to the church. Experts disagree with whether ‘black’ wool was a positive or negative term, as on one hand black wool could not be dyed and so limited its market but on the other hand it had value as it could be made into made into clothing or furnishings immediately without the need for the lengthy dyeing process. The last line refers to the small amount of money (i.e. about 1/3 of the overall profits) that was left for the farmers or shepherds. Interestingly in the second edition of the book the line changes with the message showing even more clearly how dire the situation was for the small cottage industries at that time “But none for the little boy who cries in the lane” [4] . Mary, Mary Quite Contrary How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells And pretty maids all in a row.

Queen Mary I Although the precise meanings of some of the lines are disputed it is generally accepted that the rhyme is about Mary Tudor, Queen of England and her reign, which left a trail of blood and fear throughout England. Some experts believe that ‘quite contrary’ is an allusion to her reversal of the political and religious changes brought in by her father and brother whilst ‘pretty maids’ is a reference to the execution of Lady Jane Grey. ‘How does your garden grow?’ is either a mocking reference to Mary’s inability to have children or else alludes to the graveyards ‘garden’ full of murdered Protestants. Given the subject matter of the next line, the latter interpretation seems more likely as ‘silver bells’ is a pretty way of describing thumbscrews whilst ‘cockle shells’ are instruments of torture which were attached to male genitals [5] . Lucy Locket Lucy Locket lost her pocket, Kitty Fisher found it; Not a penny was there in it, Only ribbon round it. Lucy Locket. Image source unknown.

The rhyme refers to a famous argument between two 18th century prostitutes whose spat became the talk of the town and added to Kitty Fisher’s notoriety as one of the most popular, beautiful, desirable and wealthy courtesans in London society [6] . Lucy Locket worked as a barmaid/prostitute in London and on finding out that her lover ‘pocket’ had lost all his money, dropped him. Despite having been the one to end the relationship, Lucy became incensed on finding out that the popular courtesan Kitty Fisher had taken up with him despite his reduced circumstances. Kitty claimed that she had found him with a ribbon tied around him which was a serious jibe at Lucy since prostitutes kept their money tied around their thigh with a ribbon. Lucy’s anger may have been largely to do with jealous. Kitty being able to take a poor lover was showing London and other women in her profession how financially secure she had become as now she could choose lovers based on her own inclination rather than money. Kitty Fisher by Joshua Reynolds via Wikimedia. Kitty Fisher (born Catherine Marie Fischer) had a number of influential suitors, was a leader of fashion and was painted several times by Sir Joshua Reynolds.

In 1766 she married John Norris, the son of the MP for Rye and moved to his house in Hemsted. Unfortunately she died only four months later, aged 25 from either from smallpox, consumption or poisoning from lead based makeup [7] . Jack and Jill Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water Jack fell down and broke his crown And Jill came tumbling after. Jack and Jill. Source unknown. The small village of Kilmersdon in Somerset claims to be the site of the true story of Jack and Jill. According to local legend in 1697 a young unmarried woman ‘Jill’ fell pregnant. The father of the baby ‘Jack’ was soon after killed by a rock from Badstone Quarry and ‘Jill’ died not long after she gave birth to her son [8] . The phrase ‘a pail of water’ is an old idiom meaning to have sex. The village to commemorate the story has introduced an annual race whereby contestants must run up to the top of the local hill with an empty bucket of water, fill it up and run back down to the school.

The winner is the contestant which has the maximum amount of water still left in their bucket [9] . Even though I would love this story to be true, it is generally agreed that the Jack and Jill in the rhyme are King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette who were beheaded during the French revolution in 1793. Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI (or perhaps it’s Sue Perkins and Giles Coren) To make the rhyme more suitable for children another verse was added ‘Up got Jack, and home did trot, As fast as he could caper, He went to bed and bound his head, With vinegar and brown paper’. Little Jack Horner, a coffin pie and the dissolution of the monasteries One of the most fascinating nursery rhymes in my opinion is that of Little Jack Horner. Who was Jack Horner? Why was he sitting in the corner? And what is so exciting about pulling out a plum? Little Jack Horner. Source: Pinterest. The ridicule of Ambrose Philips In 1725, the satirical poet Henry Carey published the following version of Little Jack Horner in his Namby Pamby ballads.

“Now he sings of Jackey Horner Sitting in the Chimney-Corner Eating of a Christmas pye, Putting in his thumb, Oh fie! Putting in, Oh fie! his Thumb Pulling out, Oh strange! a Plum [10] ” Alexander Pope by Johnathan Richardson (public domain?) The ‘Little Jack Horner’ that Carey is mockingly referring to is Ambrose Philips, a popular poet and Whig politician. Philips born in 1674 in Shrewsbury spent most of his early career as a fellow at St John’s College, Cambridge before his poems collectively called the ‘Pastorals’ were published in 1710 [11] . High praise of Philips’ work and comparisons to Edmund Spenser angered other leading poets of the time in particular Alexander Pope who believed that Philips’ success was due to his obsequious behavior towards his wealthy patrons rather than to talent. The war of words which erupted between Pope and Philips reached such heights that Philips threatened to hit Pope with a rod he kept hung in Button’s Coffee House. Samuel Johnson described relations between the two men as ‘perpetual reciprocation of malevolence’ [12] .

The use of a nursery rhyme with which to ridicule Philips was particular apt as Philips’ was well-known for composing childish verses to flatter and please his sponsors’ children. The fact that Carey italicized the original words clearly indicates that people were already very familiar with the rhyme. So the question remains if ‘Jack Horner’ was not Ambrose Philips then who was he? What’s in a name? Knave of Spades. V&A collection. In early tales and nursery rhymes roguish, vagrant and ne’er-do-well characters were often called Jack. A Jack or Knave is also the name of a playing card. The Collins dictionary gives a number of different definitions for the word knave including a deceitful dishonest person; a rogue or rascal and; a male servant. It can’t be a coincidence then that the Jack of the nursery rhyme was believed to have been based on a devious male servant whose behavior helped to bring about the downfall of a well-respected abbot and the destruction of one of the last monasteries of Tudor England. Many people believe that Jack Horner was in fact Thomas Horner, the steward of Abbot Whiting of Glastonbury.

The story goes that the abbot had sent Horner on a mission to see King Henry VIII in London, the aim of which was to try to save Glastonbury Abbey from being dissolved. Feeling hungry on the journey, Horner, who had been sent on his way with a pie, decided to eat a piece of it. To his surprise instead of pulling out the mince filling he pulled out a deed to one of Glastonbury’s smaller properties. On examining the contents of the pie he found a further eleven deeds concealed inside. Keeping the first deed, he delivered the other papers to the king [13] . The abbot was caught in a no-win situation as he could not accuse Horner of theft because then he would have to openly admit to trying to bribe the king giving Henry an easy excuse to charge the abbot with corruption. Horner gained the deeds to the estate of Mells Manor in Somerset where his descendants lived until the beginning of the 20th century [14] .

“Take a Legge of Mutton, and cut the best of the flesh from the bone, and parboyl it well then put to it three-pound of the best Mutton suet and shred it very small; then spread it abroad, and fashion it with Salt Cloves and Mace” [15] The quote above is taken from a 1615 recipe for mince pies. The recipe goes on to instruct the reader to place the mixture in a coffin or divers coffin before baking. The coffin is in fact a dough crust in the shape of a basket or box which was several inches thick and had been cooked for several hours. The coffin was inedible and acted as a container and cooking vessel to keep the meat tender by preventing the juice meat dripping away [16] . Due to the sturdy nature of the pies, people often hid valuable objects such as jewellery, money and important papers in them to stop their possessions falling into the hands of robbers. Therefore it is highly plausible that the deeds to the Glastonbury properties would have been hidden in a mince-pie. It is also interesting to note that mince pies were considered symbols of Catholic idolatry and were banned under Oliver Cromwell.

It was believed that the coffin pastry represented Jesus’ crib! Glastonbury Abbey: The last monastery of Somerset “I wish to create a church so beautiful that it would move even the hardest heart to prayer” (unknown architect of Glastonbury abbey) [17] Glastonbury Abbey. Image from Wikimedia. The Benedictine abbey of Glastonbury in Somerset was believed to have been founded in the 7th century by King Ine of Wessex and later expanded by St Dunstan in the 10th century [18] . By the 16th century the magnificent abbey of Glastonbury had become the largest and second wealthiest abbey in England with its estates covering a large swathe of Somerset, a community of 100 monks and an important centre of learning for the sons of nobility. In 1525 Cardinal Wolsey with the permission of Henry VIII ordained Richard Whiting as Abbot of Glastonbury. Contemporary records show that Whiting was well-respected, held in high esteem and considered a good and honest manager.

For the first few years, the abbey and its monks lived in peace and security but with the chaos caused by Henry’s attempts to divorce Catherine of Aragon and break away from the authority of Rome, Whiting knew that it was only a matter of time before Glastonbury would be under attack [19] . Thomas Cromwell by Hans Holbein the Younger. Despite the 1535 Suppression of Religious Houses Act which dissolved the lesser monasteries, for a while Whiting felt safe. Henry repeatedly assured Whiting that the abbey would be spared, a belief strengthened by Richard Layton’s inability to find any evidence of mismanagement in the abbey’s accounts. By 1539 Glastonbury was the only abbey left in Somerset. In September of that year, Cromwell demanded that the abbey be surrendered to him. Whiting refused. In response Layton, Richard Pollard and Thomas Moyles on Cromwell’s orders closed the monastery and the 78-year-old Whiting sent to the Tower to be personally examined by Cromwell.

The Fall of the Abbot of Whiting “Whose soul god pardon” (Pollard, Royal Commissioner on the death of Abbot Whiting) The precise charge on which Whiting was arrested has never been known but on the 25 October 1539, Marillac, the French Ambassador wrote “The Abbot of Glastonbury…has lately, been put in the Tower, because, In taking the abbey treasures, valued at 200,000 crowns, they found a written book of arguments in behalf of queen Katherine” [20] Although Whiting was condemned by an Act of Parliament as a traitor to the crown, his fate was already sealed. Whiting accompanied by Pollard returned to Somerset to face trial. On the 14th November, Whiting was sentenced by a jury on the trumped-up charge of ‘robbing Glastonbury Church’. It is interesting that the jury contained none other than his former steward, manager of the household, keeper of the abbey’s accounts and collector of taxes, Thomas Horner.

The following day, Whiting along with two of his monks, John Thorne and Roger James were tied on hurdles and dragged by horses up to Glastonbury Tor where they were hung, drawn and quartered. Whiting’s disgrace did not end there. His head was fastened over the west gate of the town and his limbs exposed at Wells, Bath, Ilchester and Bridgwater. Even at the end, Whiting never admitted to treason and died a dignified and humble death asking for mercy from god and forgiveness from the king and all men (even those whose actions had led him to the gallows) [21] . After the abbot’s death Glastonbury Abbey was finally destroyed and its stones used for building material. Quartering a body. Source: Fr Wikimedia. As with all sites with a traumatic history, Glastonbury is believed to have its own share of ghostly residents.

Many of the sightings have links to the abbey these include the ghost of an important monk who has been seen at the abbey; ‘a mad monk who is said to wander the ruins muttering to himself’ and the kind spirit of a monk known as Friar Francis who remains on the site of the former leper hospital where he worked. The George and Pilgrim Hotel is the residence of two ghost lovers, a lady and a monk whose unconsummated love has condemned them to wander the corridors of the pub for all eternity. Lastly the ghost of Richard Whiting has also been seen on a number of occasions on Dod Lane making his final, tragic journey towards Glastonbury Tor [22] . Glastonbury Tor. Source Wikimedia. The enigmatic ‘Little Jack Horner’ The descendants of Thomas Horner have always denied the accusation that their ancestor obtained the rights to the Mells Manor estate by dubious means and there is solid evidence to support their claims. The original conveyance still survives which records Thomas Horner’s purchase of the deeds from Henry VIII at a high valuation which is confirmed by John Leland who visited Horner in 1543 on behalf of the king [23] .

Also another rhyme has been discovered referring to the change of hands of the property, “Hopton, Horner, Smyth and Thynne When the abbots went out, they came in” [24] There is even evidence of a Little Jack Horner rhyme being known as early as 1390 and connected to a location in Barnet long before the Horners of Mells enter the picture [25] . If this now seemingly pro-catholic/anti-protestant verse was not originally written to condemn the actions of Henry VIII and Thomas Horner we will never know who the first Jack Horner really was and what the rhyme was about. It is remarkable how six lines of what on the surface is a childish and simple rhyme has been imbued with such deep historic significance and for me the speculation is absolutely fascinating.

Notes Curious Origins of Nursery Rhymes: Jack and Jill | LetterPile Curious Origins of Nursery Rhymes: Jack and Jill Updated on October 10, 2016 Joined: 6 years agoFollowers: 955Articles: 224 36 Advertisement Jack and Jill A mainstay of children's rhyme the world over is the silly little ditty of Jack and Jill, who went up a hill to fetch a pail of water. Now if you are being a scientific pedant, you will know that water is usually found along the syncline of geological rock formations - that is down the hill rather than the anticline i.e., up the hill. tch. tch. But let's not quibble on matters of teaching kids bad geology. As we learnt from the canon of Mother Goose's melody, the enduring nature of these nursery rhymes come from the simplicity, the ease with which they can be memorised and their bouncy melodies. No one quite knows how or when Jack and Jill actually came to be. There are many who are happy to speculate and mythologise. Let us separate some facts from the resultant fiction.

Advertisement Jack and Jill - the first three stanzas Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after Up Jack got, and home did trot, As fast as he could caper; To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob With vinegar and brown paper (And went to bed and bound his head With vinegar and brown paper)- later versions Then Jill came in,and she did grin, To see Jack's paper plaster; Her mother whipt her, across her knee, For laughing at Jack's disaster. (Mother vexed did whip her next For causing Jack's disaster)- later versions The Verse The first verse is the most popular and familiar one. However, there are versions of the Jack and Jill poem that have 15 stanzas dating back to the 19th century. As someone clearly felt the need to tell 'Jack and Jill : the full untold story.' The 19th century chapbook versions have the three stanzas (shown on the right) as the beginning of the Jack and Jill melody. There are mild variations to the second and third stanzas in 20th century versions - given in brackets.

Did you know that the very early woodcuts pictured Jack and 'Gill' - two boys. Somewhere along the line 'Gil' the boy became 'Jill' the girl, to add some frisson on the climb up to the hill, presumably. The name Jack is an archetypal everyman used in many stories ( Jack and the beanstalk, Jack the lad) and the name 'Jill' was used to represent 'a girl next door' or a sweet heart. The rhyme itself is a quatrain using the rhyming form 'abcb' with a rising and falling rhythmic melody. The use of vinegar and brown paper to bind cuts and bruises was a common practice in middle ages. No one could actually account for the meaning behind the story and in all likelihood it was a nonsense rhyme that has endured because of its simplicity. There are many speculations as to the origin of the 'Jack and Jill' story and its metaphorical excursions.

Advertisement Hjuki and Bil Hjuki and Bil There is an Old Norse myth that tells us the story of the Moon, Mâni, who stole two children from earth, Hjuki and Bil, as they were collecting water from the well, Byrgir, in their bucket, Sœgr, suspended from their pole, Simul. The Moon as an archetypal kidnapper of children sounds eerily ominous and was perhaps told to keep children from wandering about at night. Hjuki in Norse is pronounced Juki which could've eventually become Jack. Jill may have replaced Bil for the sake of alliteration. It was suggested by S Baring Gould (in his book about myths and legends) that this story may have eventually birthed the rhyme of Jack and Jill. It still doesn't account for the tumbling down and the broken crown. There is a further twist to the tale. Hjuki actually comes from the Norse verb Jakka which means to pile up or increase. Bil comes from Bila which is to fade, dissolve or fall apart. Is it likely that the old tale is actually about the cyclical waxing and waning of the moon?

The fetching of water may have been a direct link to the Moon's influence on the tides... Advertisement Mary Tudor, sister of Henry the VIII Cardinal Wolsey ( on horseback) Royal Connections Katherine Elwes Thomas, wrote a book called the 'Real Personages of Mother Goose'. She points out that the original woodcut illustration in 'Mother Goose's Melody' represent Jack and Gill as two boys and the most rhymes were secret insults to popular figures or royal personages of the day. She believes that Jack and Gill dates back to Tudor times and is a secret insult to Cardinal Wolsey ( Jack) and Bishop Tarbes ( Gill). The two famously went on a trip to France ( went up the Hill) to secure the marriage of Mary Tudor, then 18 years of age and was the young, beautiful sister of Henry VIII. This was to the aging 53 year old King of France, Louis XII. This plan was hatched by Cardinal Wolsey to secure peace with France and to appease Henry VIII who saw his sister as a useful tool in his European alliances. The wedding went ahead and Wolsey and Tarbes were initially successful in their mission.

Sadly, the ailing Louis XII - who had produced no heirs until that time- died within 3 months of the marriage ( apparently due to his exertions in the bedchamber!) leaving the young Mary a widow. Mary had already fallen in love with Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk. Despite Henry VIII's desire to use his sister as a further negotiating tool for another alliance, Mary and Brandon were married in secret. The enraged Henry wanted to execute Brandon for treason. However, Wolsey intervened and secured a pardon for the man. Until then Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was the most powerful man in the British Kingdom, as Henry VIII's trusted aide and Lord Chancellor. Perhaps the intervention to secure Brandon's pardon and the subsequent fallout with the King is hinted as 'Jack fell down and broke his crown' as he fell out favour with the tempestuous monarch. There are those who believe that Jack and Jill refer to King Louis XVI, beheaded in 1793 ( fell down and broke his crown) followed by his queen Marie Antoinette who came tumbling after. However, the printing of the rhyme predates these events and lays doubts to the claim.

Advertisement The Imperial Measure of 'Jack' ( Half Pint) marked by a crown on this pewter mug. King Charles I How a Half Pint broke its crown Desperate for more money in his coffers, King Charles I suggested a reform to raise taxes on liquid measures. His proposal to raise the tax on the half pint measures ( then called a 'Jack') were blocked by parliament. King Charles I pondered on his failure and quickly ordered the nation to reduce the volume of the half pint. In those days (and even now) the half pint line is indicated as an imperial measure with the 'crown' symbol. By knocking this crown down a notch, Charles managed to get more taxes without ever having to raise them! Thus the half -pint Jack, broke its 'crown'. The quarter pint measure was called the 'Gill'. Subsequent to the volume reduction of half a pint or 'Jack' the 'Gill' was also reduced ( came tumbling after). Perhaps the rhyme was coined by the angry drinkers of ale, who were getting less of a pint for their buck. Jack and Jill sign at Kilmersdon Sign at Kilmersdon Kilmersdon, 'home' of Jack and Jill Hill.

A quaint Somerset village, Kimersdon, has staked his claim to being the home of ' Jack and Jill' Hill. According to local legend dating back to 1697, the rhyme is about a local spinster who got pregnant by her mysterious lover. The man, Jack, apparently died of a rockfall when climbing a local hill and the poor maid died of childbirth soon after. The village proudly claims to be the 'home of Jack and Jill Hill' and even celebrates its status all over town. No one is quite sure of the veracity of this tale but are happy to go along. A local hill has been identified as the 'Jack and Jill Hill' and milestones have been placed to outline the tale of Jack and Jill's ascent and unceremonious descent. Click thumbnail to view full-size The Jack and Jill Well, Kilmersdon Bottom of the Hill Jack and Jill in Shakespeare "...Our wooing doth not end like an old play; Jack hath not Jill" Love's Labours Lost, Act V: Scene II "...In your waking shall be shown. Jack shall have Jill.

Nought shall go ill.The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well.' A Midsummer Nights Dream, Act III: Scene II The Immortal Jack and Jill Thus concludes our tale of Jack and Jill. They have endured time and much transition. who would've thought that the title ' Jack and Jill' that was used in an Elizabethan court comedy in 1567 would continue through time ( If anyone mentions the Adam Sandler abomination from 2011, I will personally come and find you). The enduring nature of the names and the rhyme is something that is hard to quantify and predict. When James William Elliott composed the melody in 1870 and compiled it under his 'National Nursery rhymes and Nursery songs' he definitely wouldn't have thought about the multitude of you tube versions. There are many rude variations of the Jack and Jill rhyme, but in the interest of innocent children who may come to this page as a way of research, I shall not stoop to mentioning them here. Hope you enjoyed the curious origins of Jack and Jill. Come back soon for another rhyme and its associated tales.

© 2014 Mohan Kumar Nursery rhymes Nursery rhymes Print content Nursery rhymes We usually think that nursery rhymes are for young children because they are short, they rhyme and they seem funny. However, if you look closely at some nursery rhymes and the stories behind them, you might realise that they are not always suitable for children at all! Take Humpty Dumpty as an example. Open Humpty Dumpty by clicking on the link below. The video will pop up in a new window and automatically play for you once it has loaded. To watch it again press the triangle play button. Humpty Dumpty Learning activities Many nursery rhymes became songs or chants for playground games. Some were like Humpty Dumpty and had very unusual connections to history, while others had no connection to history at all. The following activities will involve reading and writing about nursery rhymes based on the historical and non-historical origins of those you are sure to know. To get started click on the activity banner below. There are three activities below for you to do. To open or close an activity, click anywhere in the activity bar. How well do you know your nursery rhymes?

See if you can solve the following puzzles by matching the information with the correct nursery rhyme title. To complete this activity Read each of the clues and choose the answer that best suits. Some answers may be guesses – that's half the fun! Then click on the 'Check your answer' button to see how you went. Tip: If you don't know the rhymes, go to Activity 2 to read them. 1 What rhyme am I? This rhyme tells us about a Spanish princess, Princess Katherine of Aragon. She came to England on a visit. Some years later she returned to England to marry King Henry VIII, live in his castle and share his riches. a) I Had a Little Nut Tree e) Smart thinker!Think again.Your answer has been saved. 2 This is an English rhyme that dates back to the Great Plague of London in 1665. The symptoms of the plague included a rosy-red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin and violent sneezing. Pockets were filled with sweet-smelling herbs due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. a) I Had a Little Nut Tree e) Clever!Tricked you, try again.Your answer has been saved.

3 This English rhyme became a song. Queen Mary owned many massive estates or farms. Three of her noblemen were convicted of plotting against her. Queen Mary had them killed. a) I Had a Little Nut Tree e) Well done!Oops, try again.Your answer has been saved. 4 This rhyme originated in France. It was written in 1795. The king and queen of France had to walk up the steps to a high platform. The king was beheaded and so was the queen. The rhyme was given a happy ending to make it more suitable for children. a) I Had a Little Nut Tree e) Smart thinker!Tricked you, try againYour answer has been saved. 5 This rhyme was written in 1744. It was set to music in the early 19th century. King Edward 1 collected taxes on all the wool that was sent overseas by the farmers. The farmers complained that they had to give the king a bag of money. a) I Had a Little Nut Tree e) Clever!Think again.Your answer has been saved. 6 This rhyme was written in the late 16th century. It was about a girl called Patience.

Her stepfather was an entomologist. Patience was scared of arachnids. a) I Had a Little Nut Tree e) Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet Eating her curds and whey Along came a spider Who sat down beside her And frightened Miss Muffet away Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water Jack fell down and broke his crown And Jill came tumbling after. Up got Jack, and home did trot As fast as he could caper He went to bed and bound his head With vinegar and brown paper. Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full! One for the master, one for the dame, And one for the little boy who lives down the lane. A pocket full of posies A-tishoo! A-tishoo! 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?

I had a little nut tree, Nothing would it bear The king of Spain's daughter Came to visit me, And all for the sake of my little nut tree. Many nursery rhymes do not have historical stories behind their creation, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is one of these. Read the rhyme. Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are? Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky When the blazing sun is gone, when he nothing shines upon, Then you show your little light, twinkle, twinkle all the night. Then the traveller in the dark, thanks you for your tiny spark, He could not see which way to go, if you did not twinkle so. In the dark blue sky you keep, and often through my curtains peep, For you never shut your eye, 'till the sun is in the sky. As your bright and tiny spark, lights the traveller in the dark, - Though I know not what you are, twinkle, twinkle little star. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was written by two sisters, Ann and Jane Taylor. As there is no story behind the rhyme, it's up to you to write one.

You can be as creative as you like! To complete this activity Jack and Jill - Sanaatan Niketan Sanaatan Niketan Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after. Up Jack got and home did trot, As fast as he could caper. He went to bed and bound his head* (*/To old Dame Dob who patched his nob) With vinegar and brown paper. Comments Why Nursery Rhymes Are So Violent - Yoshke Dimen Yoshke Dimen Let me tell you a story. Why Nursery Rhymes Are So Violent A few months ago, I was teaching my 4-year old nephew some nursery rhymes with a DVD. After a lot of singing, he slowly digested the story that the rhymes tell. And then he began asking rather uncomfortable questions. image courtesy of littlefolkspuzzle.com One of the first rhymes I taught him was Humpty Dumpty. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King’s horses, And all the King’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again!

He might have finally understood the rhyme when he gasped and said curiously, “Did he die?” “Well,” I replied, “he’s an egg. Who cares?” “I like eggs. Did they cook Humpty Dumpty?” “Maybe. Who knows?” He looked sorry but we went on singing. And then there was Rock-A-Bye Baby. Rock a bye baby on the tree top, When the wind blows the cradle will rock, When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, And down will come baby, cradle and all. And again, my nephew asked, “Tito, did the baby die?” “I hope not. But it was just a baby and it fell from a tree. So… Poor baby.” “Why was the baby on top of the tree?” “I dunno. Maybe it was a baby koala bear,” I dodged, not realising that a-koala-cub-in-a-cradle was a very stupid thought. But really, my nephew was right, why the hell is the baby on the tree top, anyway? I went on teaching him more nursery rhymes. Itsy Bitsy Spider. Pop Goes the Weasel. Peter Peter Pumpkin-eater.

Old King Cole. Baa Baa Black Sheep. I’ve always noticed that many of our nursery rhymes are actually very violent. I don’t usually give a damn. But my nephew was smart enough to understand what he was singing and sensitive enough to actually feel for the characters. After almost every rhyme I taught him, he would ask me what happened to the character. to Peter’s wife whom he kept inside a pumpkin. (Peter Peter Pumpkin-eater) to the itsy-bitsy spider after going up the spout again (Itsy Bitsy Spider) to the three blind mice after the farmer’s wife cut off their tails (Three Blind Mice) to the four and twenty blackbirds that were baked in a pie (Sing a Song of Sixpence) to Jack who fell down and to Jill who tumbled after (Jack and Jill) I had to remind my nephew that it was bad to make fun of blind people (or blind mice, for that matter) and that pies don’t have dead black birds in them (at least, not usually). And guess what my nephew said after Jack and Jill. “Tito, did they die?” Thank God he didn’t ask how many people were killed when the London Bridge fell down.

But even before this incident, I’ve always been wondering why these nursery rhymes have a sort of violent theme. Glenn once told me that they reflect history — what was happening at the time of the rhyme’s creation. It was only five minutes ago when I did some research and this is what I have found. According to rhymes.org.uk : “Many of the words and nursery rhymes lyrics were used to parody the royal and political events of the day, direct dissent would often be punishable by death! Strange how these events in history are still portrayed through children’s nursery rhymes, when for most of us the historical events relationship to the nursery rhymes themselves are long forgotten!” That being said, what are the events that our nursery rhymes mirror in their lyrics? Here are some answers from rhymes.org.uk . HUMPTY DUMPTY Humpty Dumpty was in fact believed to be a large cannon! It was used during the English Civil War ( 1642 – 1649) in the Siege of Colchester (13 Jun 1648 – 27 Aug 1648). Colchester was strongly fortified by the Royalists and was laid to siege by the Parliamentarians (Roundheads).

In 1648 the town of Colchester was a walled town with a castle and several churches and was protected by the city wall. Standing immediately adjacent the city wall, was St Mary’s Church. A huge cannon, colloquially called Humpty Dumpty, was strategically placed on the wall next to St Mary’s Church. JACK AND JILL Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water Jack fell down and broke his crown And Jill came tumbling after. Up got Jack, and home did trot As fast as he could caper He went to bed and bound his head With vinegar and brown paper. Jack and Jill are said to be King Louis XVI – Jack -who was beheaded (lost his crown) followed by his Queen Marie Antoinette – Jill – (who came tumbling after). The words and lyrics to the Jack and Jill poem were made more acceptable as a story for children by providing a happy ending! The actual beheadings occurred in during the Reign of Terror in 1793. The first publication date for the lyrics of Jack and Jill rhyme is 1795 – which ties-in with the history and origins.

THREE BLIND MICE 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? The origin of the words to the Three blind mice rhyme are based in English history. The ‘farmer’s wife’ refers to the daughter of King Henry VIII, Queen Mary I. Mary was a staunch Catholic and her violent persecution of Protestants led to the nickname of ‘Bloody Mary’. The reference to ‘farmer’s wife’ in Three blind mice refers to the massive estates which she, and her husband King Philip of Spain, possessed. The ‘three blind mice’ were three noblemen who adhered to the Protestant faith who were convicted of plotting against the Queen – she did not have them dismembered and blinded as inferred in Three blind mice – but she did have them burnt at the stake! RING AROUND THE ROSY “Ashes, Ashes” We all fall down! The words to the Ring around the rosy children’s ring game have their origin in English history .

The historical period dates back to the Great Plague of London in 1665 (bubonic plague) or even before when the first outbreak of the Plague hit England in the 1300’s. The symptoms of the plague included a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin (Ring around the rosy). Pockets and pouches were filled with sweet smelling herbs ( or posies) which were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The term “Ashes Ashes” refers to the cremation of the dead bodies! The death rate was over 60% and the plague was only halted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats which carried the disease which was transmitting via water sources. The English version of “Ring around the rosy” replaces Ashes with (A-tishoo, A-tishoo) as violent sneezing was another symptom of the disease. PETER, PETER PUMPKIN-EATER Had a wife and couldn’t keep her! He put her in a pumpkin shell, And there he kept her very well! As for this rhyme.

Well, it’s just talking about dressing up for the Halloween. Thank God for Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, not all rhymes are violent. LOL source: rhymes.org.uk

Question: According to the nursery rhyme Jack And Jill, Jack bound his head with which two items?
Answer: Vinegar and brown paper