I was sitting at my patio table, being encroached upon by my wildly growing flowers, when I remembered a nursery rhyme rom my childhood. Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow? I vaguely recalled the rest of it, so on to Google I went. And down a rabbit hole I fell. 😂🤣 Below is the modern version of the rhyme:
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.
The oldest known version was first published in Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book (1744) with the lyrics that are shown here:
Mistress Mary, Quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells,
And so my garden grows.
So what does the rhyme actually mean? Well, that depends on who you ask of course. And how they break down each word and usage in the poem. From what I read, it could relate to Mary, the mother of Jesus, or Mary 1 of England, or Mary, Queen of Scots.
If it was written for Mary, Queen of Scots (Bloody Mary) this little ditty could be talking about the execution of Protestants’ under her rule. The “silver Bells” could be referring to torture devices. Yikes.
Then, there’s:
Ring-around the Rosie,
Pocket full of Posies,
Ashes, ashes,
We all fall down.
This is the American version I grew up with. But you know how we slaughter English language in the States. 😁 Here’s another version I found:
Ring-a-ring-a-roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down.
Supposedly, this rhyme is about the Great Plague or Black Death that took place in England. This is what I knew it to mean. It’s apparently talking about the rash that developed from the Plague, and people carried posies in their pockets to cover the smell of death, and the latter part is just about people dying. Something cheery for kids to sing while dancing in a circle. 😅🤣
However, there are other people who say it’s conspiracy theorists that are attributing a darker element to the rhymes. That a lot of the events don’t match with the original versions of the poems being published and the people who are supposed to be the POV of the rhymes. Who knows? I kinda like the darker vibes, anyway.
Still, whether they have some darker meaning to them, or they are what they appear to be, just light-hearted playtime for children, nursery rhymes are beneficial for preschool development. Did you know that a 4-year old who has remembered at least 8 nursery rhymes will be a better reader and learner? Rhymes help with these developmental stages: Cognitive, Speech, Reading, Language, Creativity, History, Math, Physical, and Social and Emotional.
So, if you’re looking for some modern and fun nursery rhymes to share with your kiddies, with a Scottish flair, I highly recommend A Rhyme in Time by Simon Macdonald. They will put a smile on your children’s faces.
