Twinkle Twinkle...

We have all chanted and clapped to the tunes of nursery rhymes in our childhood. Nursery rhymes are our first venture into academics and often have a lasting impact. Most of us still remember a few rhymes (at least the tune).

However, there is an apparent contradiction to this entire issue. In fact, this feature is quite lucid in many rhymes. I am talking about the fact that most of the nursery rhymes seem to carry a downbeat mood in them. Most nursery rhymes have a satirical and sadistic expression. If we dig deeper into nursery rhymes, it turns out that these rhymes are actually describing events from history. And more often than not, these are great wars and catastrophic events that have pockmarked our history books. And in many cases, these Nursery rhymes are political in nature. They deride rulers, scoff at political systems, and have implied meanings.

It is evident that Nursery rhymes were not written for children. So, why are these Nursery rhymes of this nature? The answer is quite logical. These Nursery rhymes were composed by common people who did not dare to oppose the monarchy or ruler openly. To incur the wrath of the ruler, only meant death. These were hence composed using pseudonyms and analogies. They were written as a testimony of the misdeeds and incompetence of the system of government that existed those days.

But not all rhymes are of this nature. Some rhymes are indeed innocent stories to entertain children, but some are narratives of suave political moves and swindles, while some more are nonchalant descriptions of gruesome murders and deaths. In a way, nursery rhymes have become a record of the tumultuous times that the world has seen.

If you have decided to start a research on nursery rhymes and their origins after reading this piece..., dont... Here are some links that contain useful info.

http://www.sca.org.au/bacchus_wood/origins_of_nursery_rhymes.html
http://www.rhymes.org.uk/index.htm