Buzz
Many nursery rhymes, once thought to be mere playful verses for children, actually have far darker and more sinister origins. These seemingly innocent rhymes date back to times of political and religious turmoil, and some even recount scandals and gossip from centuries ago. Their stories span eras as early as the Viking Age in England, reflecting unsettling truths from history.
10. Lucy Locket
Lucy Locket lost her pocket And Kitty Fisher found it. Not a penny was there in it, Only a ribbon around it.
Lucy Locket and Kitty Fisher were both real individuals from the 18th century. Lucy Locket worked as a barmaid and occasionally as a prostitute. When one of her wealthy lovers, the ‘pocket’, lost his fortune, she swiftly discarded him, only to discover that Kitty Fisher, her rival, had taken him in despite his financial ruin. This caused a notorious rivalry, with Kitty taunting Lucy for abandoning her lover. Kitty even mocked Lucy by claiming she had found a ribbon around him, which was a pointed insult, as prostitutes at the time would tie their money around their thighs with ribbons.
This theme may not be ideal for children, but time has done its work in concealing the truth: this rhyme actually refers to a dispute between two courtesans!
9. Georgie Porgie
Georgie Porgie pudding and pie Kissed all the girls and made them cry When the boys came out to play Georgie Porgie ran away
Georgie Porgie could refer to either George Villiers (16th-17th century) or Prince Regent George (late 18th century).
George Villiers was an ambitious individual who worked his way into the court of King James I. He was likely bisexual and had a well-documented and intense relationship with the king. While there’s no conclusive proof of a romantic relationship, the affection King James had for George was clear, providing him with money and titles. George was also rumored to seduce noblemen’s wives, sometimes without their consent. His ability to avoid conflict, combined with his notorious exploits, makes him a likely match for the nursery rhyme.
While George Villiers might seem like a fitting candidate, I lean more toward Prince Regent George. He was extremely overweight and notorious for his indulgence in food. He struggled to fit into regular clothes, but he undeniably aligns with the rhyme. Not the sharpest mind, but he had an undeniable attraction to women. The final line may reference an incident where George attended a bare-knuckle boxing match, which ended in one contestant's death. Fearing the scandal, he ran away and hid.
So, Georgie Porgie turns out to be a coward, a glutton, and a cad. Perhaps not the best moral lesson for children.
8. Oranges and Lemons
Oranges and lemons Say the bells of St Clemens, You owe me five farthings Say the bells of St Martins, When will you pay me? Say the bells of Old Bailey, When I grow rich Say the bells of Shoreditch, When will that be? Say the bells of Stepney, I do not know Says the great bell of Bow,
Here comes a candle to light you to bed And here comes a chopper To chop off your head! Chip, chop, chip, chop The last one is dead!
The second part of this rhyme gives a clue to the meaning of the first – the unfortunate soul ends up dead! The bells mentioned belong to well-known churches in London; it's believed that these were the churches a condemned man would pass on his way to execution.
St Clemens, the first church mentioned, is likely located in Eastcheap. The Eastcheap docks were where cargo from the Mediterranean, including oranges and lemons, would be unloaded. But Eastcheap was not only known for fruit; it was also the docking point for condemned men, marking the beginning of their final journey.
7. Pop Goes the Weasel
Half a pound of tuppenny rice Half a pound of treacle That’s how the money goes, Pop goes the weasel.
Up and down the City Road In and out of the Eagle That’s how the money goes, Pop goes the weasel.
Every night when I go out The monkey’s on the table Take a stick and knock it off, Pop goes the weasel.
A penny for a ball of thread Another for a needle That’s how the money goes, Pop goes the weasel.
At first glance, “Pop goes the weasel” might seem like a nonsensical rhyme with no meaning. However, it actually tells a story of poverty, pawnbroking, low wages, and a wild night out on the town.
The ‘weasel’ in the rhyme refers to a winter coat that must be pawned, or ‘popped,’ in exchange for other things. The first verse highlights the cheapest food available, indicating the narrator’s lack of money, prompting the coat to be pawned. The second verse portrays a night out at the Eagle Tavern on City Road. Music halls and drinks come at a cost, so once again, the coat is pawned. The third verse is a bit harder to decipher, with ‘monkey’ being slang for a tankard, and ‘knocking off a stick’ referring to drinking. The last verse likely describes the narrator’s day job.
So, this seemingly silly song actually reflects the struggle to make ends meet. Despite the hardships of poor food, low wages, and tough living conditions, the song maintains an upbeat tone, showing that a night out is well worth the difficulties faced throughout the week.
6. Rub A Dub Dub
Rub a dub dub Three men in a tub And how do you think they got there? The butcher, the baker and the candlestick-maker It was enough to make a man stare.
At first glance, it seems a bit homoerotic… then we look at the original, or at least the oldest known version:
Rub a dub dub Three maids in a tub And how do you think they got there? The butcher, the baker and the candlestick-maker And all of them gone to the fair.
It sounds like a peep show might be in town. Peep shows were a popular form of entertainment in the 14th century, and it appears that our characters have gone to witness the maids in the tub. Rub a dub dub…
5. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Mary, Mary, quite contrary How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockleshells And pretty maids all in a row.
This rhyme carries a certain melancholic and nostalgic tone, which is amplified when you realize that in some versions, 'garden' is actually replaced by 'graveyard'. The Mary referred to here is most likely Mary I, the daughter of Henry VIII and sister to Elizabeth I.
Henry VIII was originally wed to Catherine of Aragon, with whom he had a daughter, Mary. However, desiring a male heir, he sought to achieve this by courting Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine's ladies-in-waiting. Long story short, when the Pope refused to annul Henry's marriage, he took matters into his own hands, establishing the Anglican Church with himself at its helm, thus severing ties with Catholic Europe. After divorcing Catherine and marrying Anne, Henry had one child with her – Elizabeth. But that marriage also ended badly, with Anne being executed, and Henry continuing his search for a son through several more marriages.
After her father's death, the throne passed to Mary, who immediately attempted to reinstate Catholicism in England. As a result, Mary went directly against the wishes of her people, many of whom had embraced Protestantism by that point. The 'garden' in the rhyme is thought to sound like Gardiner, the name of Mary's sole religious ally. It may also be an allusion to Mary's inability to have children, or, if 'garden' is swapped for 'graveyard', it could be referring to the growing number of executed Protestants.
When you realize that silver bells, cockleshells, and maids were also terms used to describe torture devices of the time, the seemingly innocent rhyme takes on a much darker tone.
4. Baa Baa Black Sheep
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.
And with the original ending…
And none for the little boy who cries down the lane.
The nursery rhyme is certainly not about black sheep or little boys; it’s actually about taxes! In the 13th century, King Edward I recognized an opportunity to generate revenue by taxing sheep farmers. Under the new tax system, one third of the wool price went to the king, another third to the church, and the final third to the farmer. Unfortunately, nothing was left for the poor shepherd boy, who is left crying down the lane. Additionally, black sheep were considered unlucky due to the fact that their wool couldn’t be dyed, making it less valuable to the farmer. Baa Baa Black Sheep is essentially a story of hardship and sorrow.
3. Ring A Ring of Roses
Ring a ring a roses, A pocket full of posies A-tish-oo, a-tish-oo We all fall down
The origin of this nursery rhyme is often believed to be tied to something sinister, but in reality, it has no connection to the Black Death. The rhyme was first recorded in 1881, which is more than 500 years after the plague devastated Europe. It appears to be more of a nonsense rhyme, and in its 1881 version, there is no mention of sneezing. Here is an example from the mid-20th century:
Ring a ring a roses, A pocket full of posies One, two, three, four, We all fall down down
The sneezing element was introduced sometime in the last 50 years or so. So, in reality, this is simply a cheerful little rhyme with no hidden meanings!
2. Ladybird Ladybird
Ladybird ladybird, fly away home Your house is on fire and your children are gone, All except one called Anne For she has crept under the frying pan.
The unfortunate little ladybird in this rhyme is actually a metaphor for a Catholic living in 16th-century Protestant England. 'Ladybird' derives from the Catholic term for Our Lady. During this period, practicing Catholicism was illegal, and those who failed to attend Protestant services faced hefty fines. Catholics had to worship in secret, often in the outdoors or hidden buildings. The fire in the rhyme may symbolize the Catholic priests who were burned at the stake for their faith.
1. Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the King’s horses and all the King’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again!
Humpty Dumpty wasn't an actual person, nor was he a delicate, egg-shaped figure. In fact, Humpty Dumpty was a cannon. It belonged to the supporters of King Charles I and was used in an attempt to take control of Colchester during the English Civil War. Once in Colchester, the cannon was positioned on a church tower until a barrage of cannonballs destroyed the tower and sent Humpty crashing down into the marshes below. Though retrieved, the cannon was beyond repair. Humpty, the cannon, was a powerful and feared weapon – as shown in the full rhyme:
In sixteen hundred and forty-eight When England suffered pains of state The Roundheads laid siege to Colchester town Where the King’s men still fought for the crown.
There one-eyed Thompson stood on the wall A gunner with the deadliest aim of all From St Mary’s tower the cannon he fired Humpty Dumpty was his name.
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the King’s horses and all the King’s men Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again!
Did you think it was all about an egg? A 19th-century illustration in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass sparked this misconception. When Alice converses with Humpty Dumpty on the wall, the illustrator – seemingly on a whim – depicted him as egg-shaped. Because the book was so popular, an entire generation of children grew up believing that Humpty Dumpty was a whimsical rhyme about an egg, rather than a terrifying weapon of war.
