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Dark meanings behind the most popular nursery rhymes from Jack and Jill to Humpty Dumpty
Many of your favorite childhood nursery rhymes are actually harboring dark secrets, checkered pasts, and enough trauma to have you immediately calling your parents.
Just recently we learned how the Little Piggies nursery rhyme is actually about pigs being led off to slaughter. Adults felt betrayed by the realization, which got us thinking about other seemingly insidious jingles and songs. Let’s take a look.
Jack and Jill has a few troubling origins
Because many nursery rhymes were written hundreds of years ago and changed throughout the centuries, the exact meanings are heavily debated amongst scholars and people on the internet.
When it comes to Jack and Jill, which we assumed was about a brother and sister injuring themselves on a hill, there are a few theories.
As reported by Owlcation, Jack and Jill could be a nod to the French Revolution with Jack being King Louis XVI and Jill stepping into Queen Marie Antoinette’s role. Jack “lost his crown” symbolized the king’s head being chopped off, followed quickly by Marie’s head which “came tumbling after.”
Other people believe the nursery rhyme is a nod to King Charles’ taxation of England from 1625. In Somerset, England, some even believe that Jack and Jill were lovers who were killed, Jack by rockfall and Jill by childbirth.
Humpty Dumpty could point to two events
Perhaps the most famous Western nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty tells of an egg who falls off a wall. One theory is that Humpty Dumpty was the nickname of a canon used by Jack Thompson in the sacking of Colchester in 1648. The canon eventually fell off the wall, leading to Jack’s surrender.
Another popular theory suggests that Humpty Dumpty was actually the humpbacked king King Richard III. He fell off his horse during a battle, with enemy soldiers hacking him to pieces. Of course, they couldn’t put him back together again.
Ring Around the Rosie was actually nasty business
Much like our own experiences with the recent pandemic, the 14th century saw the rise of the Black Death across Europe. It killed between 75 and 200 million people.
Though some experts believe Ring Around the Rosie symbolized dodging plague victims, others theorize that it was about having a crush. Perhaps the most scandalous theory is that Ring Around the Rosie was about Pagan rituals.
Three Blind Mice is the most brutal nursery rhyme
The Three Blind Mice are not only an iconic nursery rhyme, but also fictional characters in the popular Shrek franchise. Unfortunately, it might have been inspired by some pretty grizzly deaths.
You see, the rhyme dates back to 1609 when Queen Mary I accused three Protestant loyalists of plotting against her. Some reports suggest they were blinded and then executed, while others say they were burned at the stake.
