Everyone is familiar with nursery rhymes, right? They are a precious part of everyone's childhood. Well, not anymore. Have you ever stopped to realize just how sinister and morbid their origins are? I already knew that "Ring around the rosy" refers to the Plague. But there are so many other gems. "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary"? Let's have a look at the original words:
"Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row."
Pretty innocent. And downright precious, right? Well, let's place it in historical context: Bloody Mary, Queen of England and daughter of Henry VIII, mercilessly killed many Protestants. Silver bells and cockle shells sound nice. But they were instruments of torture. And maids in a row? The Maiden is another name for a guillotine.
Aren't you so glad your childhood was enriched by these happy lines? If you'd like to check out more, here's a sweet website:
http://rhymes.org.uk/
Enjoy!
