Singing the London Bridge with Friends

The Origins Of The London Bridge Nursery Rhyme

The origins of The London Bridge Nursery Rhyme are not very cut and dry. While some suggest that it is merely a rhyme explaining the struggle of bridging the River Thames, others suggest that it has a darker meaning. One such suggestion is that it explains King Olaf’s of Norway‘s victory in tearing down the bridge in 1014. This came about because of a book translating the saga of Heimskringla.

Another theory, more darker than the first, is that it tells of the practice of Immurement, which is entombing a person within a structure where they die from lack of food. This is quite a dark practice, and it is suggested that children were the usual sacrifices of this tradition. It was believed that those entombed within a structure would forever guard it against damage and destruction.

This theory must be one of the most believed, however, as it correlates with the dances children perform whilst singing this song today.

How the nursery rhyme encourages the development of motor skills

You might remember as a child playing this game with the other young children around you. Two children, most of the time the taller of the bunch, would clasp their hands together to form a bridge. The remaining children would then run under the “bridge” singing of the London Bridge lyrics.

The song continues on for several refrains where the children sing of which materials are the strongest and would last. They finally decide on Silver And Gold but then must find a watchman to ensure the silver and gold does not wash away. This encourages the belief that the nursery rhyme tells of King Olaf and his victory, but also of those poor children from long ago who were meant to guard a structure eternally.

As the children sing, the bridge begins to buckle and collapse. The two making up the structure of the bridge slowly lower their arms and it becomes increasingly difficult for the children to pass under. Right as the last refrain is sung, the two bridge pieces clasp themselves together thus entrapping a child within.

This game allows for the participants to tune their fine motor skills while practicing pronunciation and rhyme. They are also taught logic as each child would soon learn that it is better to not be one of the last people in line at the songs closure. It also encourages patience and sharing as each child must wait their turn to become the “bridge.”

Children between the age of three to five would be best benefited to this game because of the valuable lessons it allows. It would aid the parents and teachers of children in educating their pupils of the Five Golden Rules Of Life. It also teaches the children a little bit of history as you can give them a very mild account of King Olaf and his destruction of the bridge.