Humpty Dumpty, Mary had a Little Lamb and so forth. We remember these with either fondness or maybe apprehension depending on our upbringing. Nursery rhymes can be a wonder or a crime. Here we will take a look at the popular ones that my our childhood great or lame.
Humpty Dumpty
This guy is depicted as an egg with an agenda. There are many versions of this nursery rhyme and most stick to the original rendition. Mostly the true origins of this rhyme are vague. However, there are some interesting explanations on the meaning of this rhyme. One is that it referred to a shot of brandy boiled with ale.
It could also mean a short clumsy person. Another meaning for who Humpty Dumpty represents is that of King Richard the third of England. Still another understanding is that the rhyme was a metaphor for the downfall of Cardinal Wolsey. He appears in Lewis Carols’ In Through the Looking Glass. A wonderful place to put the character in. The rhyme seems to appear in 1797 or that’s when the first book of the nursery rhyme was published.
Helps with Voice Motor Skills
The helps children to develop, a rhythm which helps in there motor skills for all physicality. In speech, kids develop voice patterns that they will use for the rest of their lives. Most certainly a person would fall asleep with this nursery rhyme and other rhymes if sung with a soothing voice.
Spark Kids Curiosity
Kids are inquisitive and might want to know just how Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, why he had a great fall and who he was. They can research the folklore behind the nursery rhyme. Also, they will learn the history behind the story and who or what the rhyme represents.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Who is Mary Had a Little Lamb? She came about from the mind of Sarah Josepha Hale. Anyway, that is the best-held origin story. It was composed May 24, 1830, supposedly by an actual event. The story goes that Mary Sawyer took her lamb to school one day. A commotion resulted which inspired John Roulstone a young man visiting the school that to write the first four lines of the rhyme.
Jack and Jill
There have been many modern renditions of this nursery rhyme. Some are innocently entertaining other are downright pornographic. In any event, it has been one of many endeared nursery rhymes to this day. No one knows the exact date this rhyme was written. The only date that is certain is that it was created in the 16th century. The whole phrase “Jack and Jill” indicated a boy and a girl. The earliest version is found in John Newbery Mother Goose’s Melody. Another rendition was put to music by Charles Burney in 1777.
Meaning of the Rhyme
There are many meanings to this rhyme and its’ origin. One such meaning and origin is that Jack and Jill represent a brother and sister who were taken by the Norse god, Mani. They were to take water from the mythical well called Byrgir. There are many other explanations for the nursery rhyme, this is certainly one of the more interesting ones.