Growing up, you were probably taught all sorts of nursery rhymes and recited them happily,
oblivious to the fact that many of them have darker meanings than we could have ever imagined.
We're here to shed some darkness on the happy sing-songs of your childhood.
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
Shocking as it may be, Baa, Baa, Black Sheep was not actually about a talking black sheep
that offered up its wool to a master, a dame, and a little boy who lives down the lane.
As with most nursery rhymes, many theories have been offered up about the meaning.
One of the more popular ones, according to Historic UK, is that it's about the heavy
taxation on wool in 13th-century Britain.
Supposedly, the "master" represented King Edward the 1st, the "dame" was the church,
and the "little boy" referred to all the shepherds who took care of the sheep.
Sadly, it seems as if the shepherds got a raw deal: in the original version, "the little
boy" didn't get any wool.
Humpty Dumpty
Many children can recite the nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty and his tragic misadventures
on a wall.
Glossing over the fact that this rhyme is basically about the accidental passing of
an egg-person, its origins might prove interesting.
According to Ancient Origins, "Humpty Dumpty" could have been a nickname for rotund people
in the 15th century, or it could have been a cannon used by the army of King Charles
the 1st in the English Civil War.
According to lore, the cannon was placed on top of the wall of a church until it was brought
down by enemy cannons, causing it to have a "great fall."
Apparently, the fall left it beyond repair, seeing how none of the King's men — or horses
— could fix it.
Rub-a-dub-dub
That old poem about a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker may not have been about
exploring career choices and then going to a fair after all.
In fact, according to London librarian Chris Roberts, some of the earliest versions of
Rub-a-dub-dub claims that there were three maids in a tub, instead of the three men.
The butcher, baker, and candlestick maker are still present, but it can be deduced that
they're intently watching whatever's going on in the tub between the three young ladies.
Take that as you will.
Oranges and Lemons
London's famous poem Oranges and Lemons is a rhyme that features the tolling of many
church bells across London, with many different interpretations and meanings.
In an article for the BBC, composer Benjamin Till explored whether or not someone's decapitation
helped inspire it.
One of the popular theories claims that the poem is full of references that include Henry
the 8th's marital problems, some torture devices used in the Tower of London, and even the
execution of prisoners at Newgate Prison.
For a poem concerning bells and produce, it sure does have some fairly disturbing origins.
Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater
A read of Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater might lead you to believe that this Peter fellow
was kind of a jerk who remarried and then became literate.
According to Treasury Islands, one of the origins of this strange tale involves Peter
being unable to act as a good husband and treating his first wife poorly.
Peter had a more domineering personality and kept his wife stuck in their home, where he
could exercise his control over her.
The wife must have gotten sick of his treatment, because he eventually remarried and became
more civilized after some time.
At least this rhyme sort of prepares kids for the complexities of adult relationships.
Lucy Locket
On the surface, the old English nursery rhyme Lucy Locket seems to be an innocent tale about
a girl named Lucy who loses her purse and a girl named Kitty who finds it.
In truth, it's about a famous courtesan named Kitty Fisher, who supposedly stole away the
lover of a woman named Lucy Locket.
According to Persephone Magazine, Kitty Fisher was a very charismatic woman who liked the
finer things in life, and became a courtesan to live it up with the wealthy folks.
Lucy Locket was a fan of hers, but that quickly turned when her poor lover left her and found
solace in Miss Kitty's arms.
A nineteenth century poem that was basically an early version of The Maury Show?
You better believe it.
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