The social history of Nursery Rhymes

[butnut]

Please don't be put off the the thread title!

Inspired by this article in the guardian:

Jack and Jill went up in the hill anxious to lose their virginity, according to a social historian who has published a book documenting the real stories behind the nation's favourite nursery rhymes.

Chris Roberts, a librarian at the University of East London, claims the nursery rhymes we all grew up with are full of sex, disease and royal scandal.

Jack and Jill was about the loss of virginity, a possible teenage pregnancy and Jack running away the minute he had had his wicked way with Jill.

Goosey goosey gander, where do you wander? describes the journey made by goose pimples brought on by sexually transmitted diseases, while Rubber dub dub, three maids in a tub describes 18th century peep shows.

Mr Roberts' research grew out of the walking tours he conducts around London every summer. His favourite story in the book is that of Kitty Fisher, an 18th century courtesan who worked her way up through society. She inspired the nursery rhyme Lucy Locket lost her pocket, when she refused to sleep with Casanova for £10. "She said she wouldn't get into bed for less than £15," says Mr Roberts. "She's like Naomi Campbell in reverse."

Mr Roberts' book, Heavy Words Lightly Thrown, charts the real stories behind the rhymes - the alternative words, their meaning and how they were passed from parents to children. Many rhymes told stories of the rich and famous - the equivalent of an appearance in Hello!, says Mr Roberts.

And while some reveal how much society has changed in the last few centuries, others show how the same issues come up again and again, says Mr Roberts. Georgie Porgie, long thought to be a reference to the notorious gay courtier George Villers, is actually about childhood obesity

OK - I want to hear some of the Verbwhores' interpretations of nursery rhymes, folk tales and the like. Can you beat Prof. Roberts?

[king mob]

Didnt Liverpool council do something like this in the 80's?

[Bilko]

Ride a cock-horse
An old 1830's song of unity that untied gay jockeys.

Queen of Hearts
Written by maid Pauline Barrel in the 1920's as an ode to her majesty she served under.

Three Blind Mice
Believed to have originated in the Middle East in 1878, and refers to messers Blair, Bush, and Blunkett.

[Marcus Or Relius]

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails,
And puppy dog tails,
That's what little boys are made of.

What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice,
And everything nice,
That's what little girls are made of.


Obviously created and spread by a cabal of fat hairy feminist to crush the egos of pre-school boys.

[Virtually Perennially]

Lazy 15th century courtier Humphrey D'Omptie had a sizeable nervous breakdown from which he never recovered, no matter how much bum sex and heroin he took.


I'd like to know how you hang bottles, of whatever colour, on walls. I mean, if you tried and they fell, you could hardly call it accidental could you. Bloody stupid, more like.

[butnut]

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey,

Along came a spider who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away!

This is clearly an anology for the recent gulf conflict. 'Miss Muffet' is Sadam, eating his Kurds. Sadam has been feminized to further detract credibility from him even further. The spider is obviously the combined US/UK forces. The question remains - what is the spider going to do with the curds and whey now?