“ROCK-A-BYE BABY” LULLABY HISTORY
This is a very popular nursey that has been around for hundreds of years. However, until this day, the actual history of it is still unknown. There has been a constant debate about the origin of this particular English nursery rhyme because there are currently multiple theories pretaining to it, In the US. Some believe that the song has a symbolic meaning behind it and that it portays a mother rocking her baby to sleep at night before placing him gently in his crib. Others insist that this rhyme was the very first poem ever written on American-soil. This specific legend developed in the 17th century by an English immigrant. They suggest that he admired the way Native American women crafted tree branches together to make a craddle that would rock their baby’s to sleep with the wind. Another theory states that this song is actually a glorious tale that depicts a series of events from the Glorious Revolution. They suggest that the baby being mentioned is referring to the son of king James VII and II. It is greatly believed that this was mistakenly someone else’s child who was wrongfully taken to provide a religous heir for James. “The wind” being mentioned is said to have been the forces blowing which drove from the Netherlands. The wind brought James’ nephew and son-in-law William of Orange, who dethroned king James II in the revolution. And the “cradle” is supposed to be the Royal House of Stuart. You have the right to believe which theory that you please but in all actuality the lyrics were first printed in 1765 by the Mother Goose’s Melody. It was also first recorded as a phrase in 1805 by Benjamin Tabart’s Songs for the Nursery.
A SYMBOLIC MEANING
We come into contact with this lullaby on multiple occasions like in nursing rooms and at baby showers. But, did you also know that this is in fact one of many lullabies that have been used as a murder Ballard? Rock-a-bye Baby falls into this category because of it’s uncanny ending. People say that the end of it is clearly a symbolic meaning for injury or death because the cradle that contains the baby mysteriously falls from a tree. They get this thesis from the English immagrant who witnessed the Native American mothers who made craddles for their babies, in trees. Some will argue that this is not the case, however. They believe that the lullaby is actually implying the act of birth. The tree is said to be the mother and the wind is referring to her contractions. The bough that brakes is supposed to be the mothers water breaking while the “cradle and all” suggests organs like the placenta. So, instead of the lullaby describing the acts of death, this theory states that it is actually talking about the creation of life itself. This is what creates a happier mental picture and makes this lullaby a peaceful one that is appropriate to sing to your children as they fall asleep.