Over many years, children have been calmed with an old nursery rhyme or poem. Though there are a variety of different nursery rhymes and poems, as well as a variety of versions, a very well known old nursery rhyme is that of Old King Cole. Many old nursery rhymes are based off of events that happened in real life, but as time goes on, the meaning of an old nursery rhyme or poem can easily be lost. Despite the loss of meaning, the story of Old King Cole has been one of the few that has yet to be forgotten or even solved.
Though the nursery rhyme did originate in Britain, no one is certain of who King Cole really was, and after many years of speculation, it was ruled down to three possible contenders named Cole who were all considered Kings in Britain at the time.
The first being Coel Godhebog who ran a local government and was also a member of the municipal Senate in Ancient Rome. The second was Coel Hen, he is the main contender due to eventually being named Coel the Old. Coel Hen was the Lord of Colchester and was also believed to be the last member of the municipal Senate of Ancient Rome after the Roman officials fled Britain and returned to Italy.
The third and last contender is St. Ceneu ap Coel, who was the son of Coel Hen. Ceneu was well known for having resisted against the pagan invaders and protecting his belief in old Christianity.
Regardless of the speculation among researchers of who King Cole really was, there are a couple things of which they are certain. One being that whoever Old King Cole may have been, he indeed was British. The second is that King Cole stood for the people and never against.
Despite of who the nursery rhyme may have been about, we know for a fact that he was a “merry old soul” and that there was no one who could compare.