Friday, August 15
The Dark History Of Nursery Rhymes
Most people are familiar with "Ring around the rosy" and "London Bridge is falling down". Little children have played these charming nursery rhyme games for generations.
But these rhymes weren't always 'fun and games'. In fact, both of them have dark and frightening history.
In 1665, the bubonic plague - also called the 'Black Death' - arrived in London. This horrifying disease was brought into the city by rats that had stowed away on ships. No one had any idea how to stop the infection from spreading. The words to the innocent-sounding nursery rhyme tell the story of this terrible time.
'Ring around the rosy' -- Victims of the plague broke out with a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring.
'A pocketful of posies' -- At that time, some people believed that the plague was spread by bad odours. So they carried sweet-smelling flowers and herbs in their pockets to protect themselves.
'Ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo' -- An imitation of sneezing, a symptom of the disease.
'We all fall down' -- The last word, which is now 'down', means 'dead'. About a third of London's population died during that awful outbreak.
In 1666, a raging fire broke out that destroyed half of London. But it also killed many of the rats. Some people believed that the fire actually helped stop the spread of the disease.
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"London Bridge is falling down" is another favourite nursery rhyme game you probably played as a child. Very few people know that this rhyme also refers to a grim reality from the past.
In ancient times, people's beliefs were based on superstitions rather than science. Many believed that there was just one sure way to keep a bridge standing. That was to offer a human sacrifice by entombing a living person in the structure.
The sacrifice was often a child or an innocent young a woman - the 'My fair lady' of the rhyme. The idea was that the person walled up in the bridge's foundation would become a guardian spirit. That's what is meant by 'Set a man (as in person) to watch all night', another line in the rhyme.
People in countries around the world shared this same superstition. Even today, when ancient bridges are torn down, skeletons are sometimes found in the foundations. According to one legend, the stones of the real London Bridge were once spattered with the blood of little children!
[Adapted from 'Strange But True Stories']
k@ly$hA @ 3:41 PM