Mother Goose is known in many fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Many people do not know exactly where this mythical mother originated. Here is a brief history of the creation of Mother Goose.
Mother Goose is said to be modeled after a noblewomen from the 8th Century. Her name was Bertrada II of Loan. She married Pepin the Short who was the King of Franks. They had a son named Charles who was said to be made immortal by Charlemagne, the founder of the Holy Roman Empire. Bertrada was the sole provider of education to her son and was considered to be the patroness of children.
During this time, the French began to write stories about Bertrada. These stories later turned into rhymes. To make the rhymes more interesting to children, Bertrada was turned into a bird mother and her primary role was to take care of children. There are also collections in Italy that feature stories about Bertrada and her ability to take care of children and help calm them down.
The first stories of Mother Goose were from a collection written by children by Charles Perrault. This was first published in 1697. There was a story that featured an older woman telling stories to children and telling them all types of different fairy tales.
This book was translated into the English language in 1729. It took many years for these stories to become popular but by 1760 people all over were telling the stories of this mystical mother to their children.
In the United States, fairy tales featuring the likes of Mother Goose were published starting in the year 1787 featuring a collection of short stories for children. Recognizable rhymes in these early collections were stories that included Jack and Jill as well as a number of sonnets.
Many of these stories are still being told to children today in new ways including online video.