The Truth Behind Nursery Rhymes Part 1

The Truth Behind Nursery Rhymes Part 1.

Nursery rhymes are timeless, and they can be found in every preschool classroom. Teachers sing or recite them with the children, and sometimes even create new lyrics to match the curriculum. However, these nursery rhymes may not be as innocent as they seem. Some have dark histories behind them. In this series of articles, the stories behind these stories will begin to unfold, shedding light on the truth behind nursery rhymes.

Nursery rhymes help build children’s early language and communication skills, foster self-esteem, and get them ready to do reading or writing (National Literacy Trust, 2025).

The popular “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” song could be about racism, while “Jack and Jill” is about France’s Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, his wife, where they were beheaded, and lastly “London Bridge Is Falling Down” could be either about child sacrifice, the destruction of an old bridge, or even a 1014 Viking attack (Wood, 2015).

Also, “Three Blind Mice” is about three Protestant bishops: Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Radley, and Thomas Cranmer, who were burned for trying to overturn the queen, or “Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo” is about racism against black people because “tiger” was a new addition from the n-word, and lastly “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” is about female prisoners being executed around a mulberry tree (Wood, 2015).

Thus, it is clear that, similarly to ghosts or witches, it is usually the minority or females who become discriminated and ill-treated.

If you are looking for useful resources to teach language skills to young children, check out this resource here.

References

National Literacy Trust. (7 November, 2025). Nursery Rhymes in the Early Years. Retrieved from National Literacy Trust: https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/nursery-rhymes-in-the-early-years/

Wood, J. M. (29 April, 2015). The Dark Origins of 11 Classic Nursery Rhymes. Retrieved from Time: https://time.com/3828261/dark-origins-11-nursery-rhymes/

 

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