|  hildhood
experts say that nursery rhymes can help stimulate your child's memory, improve
their language skills and develop their appreciation for music. Parents and children
have liked them for centuries without the PhD's approval because they are fun.
They
may seem nonsensical but many rhymes were devised in response to difficult political,social
and/or economic situations.For instance, one theory about the rhyme Old King Cole
is that it is a song about King Coilus, an English king who was set up as a puppet
by the Romans. His joviality and simple pleasures are also a reflection of his
lack of purpose. Little Jack Horner was a messenger who stole deeds to land that
were hidden inside a Christmas plum pudding. Outright criticism of the ruling
elites was often dangerous so the common people had to resort to song and allegory
to vent their frustrations. English
nursery rhymes are often quite violent, reflecting the nature of many people's
lives in the past. Rock
a bye Baby is ostensibly a lullaby but the lyrics are politically incorrect by
today's standards. There are some justifications for the rhyme floating about
which argue that Native American women used to hang their baby's crib in the tree
whilst they worked. This isn't a very plausible explanation of the origins of
the rhyme since it has been sung in England for centuries and it's not likely
the commoners went about singing of primitive (as then thought of) practices in
far flung lands. What better way to vent frustrations with a wailing baby than
to sing it nasty lyrics whilst soothing it at the same time? Similiarly, there
is a lot of hitting and smacking which would land the parent in trouble with modern
authorities. At
the same time, most of the rhymes exhibit a strong sense of fair play and an only
slightly masked contempt for undeserved position and status. Some of the violence
serves as a caution and introduction to the world beyond the nursery. One example
is the "Corporal Bull" rhyme where he, not being used to fighting, "set
up a loud bellow". It doesn't take much to see that very much the same thing
goes on in today's corporatised world. The subversive nature of these songs is
what has led to their enduring popularity. Turning them into politically correct
versions where Polly Flinders gets kissed instead of whipped, and old men get
helped down the stairs instead of thrown, will only result in a bland, boring
'niceness' . Some of the rhymes are interactive, so be sure to move your mouse
over them and find the "secret" sounds and actions. |