SAY NO TO NURSERY RHYMES

Nursery rhymes are not as they have been made to seem. For hidden amongst clappy rhythm and flowery rhyme are age old horror stories that have stood the test of time.

It wouldn't surprise me if sex, death and violence aren't the first things that come to mind when you hear your younger siblings religiously chanting the words of Jack and Jill or Ring-o-ring-o Rosies but when you take the time to uncover the story behind the story you will soon discover that nursery rhymes are not really appropriate for children.

Childhood is a time of innocence. It is a time in one's life when it really is plausible that an old woman swallowed a fly that had in turn caused her to die. Everything is straight forward and possible in the mind of a child. Even memorising the absurd and seemingly nonsense lines of nursery rhymes could keep a child entertained for hours at a time. Ignorance is bliss. But hidden behind a visard of colourful illustration lies a blood-stained past. Did you know that many of the popular nursery rhymes reflect on political and royal turmoil from history?

People have always wished to voice the monstrosities of their time but to paint those at the top of the ladder in bad light would often lead to serious punishment, the most likely of which: death. To detract attention this social-commentary would be disguised in a cloak of child-like tune and shades of rhythm. Although the events have almost all been forgotten, their tragedies still haunt the world today, manifesting themselves in the sweet hum of children.

Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? Queen Mary, daughter to King Henry VIII, was nicknamed Bloody Mary as she was better known for the prosecution of protestants in a time when they began to break away from the Catholic Church. One particular incident involved three protestants who were accused of plotting against the Queen. She had them burnt at the stake, however rumour remains that she had had them blinded and dismembered thus giving rise to the all time favourite Three Blind Mice (which is not to be misinterpreted as a poem about a crazy farm lady who had an odd fear of small rodents wearing dark glasses).

Similarly the unfortunate events of Jack and Jill did not arise from the story of an unusually unlucky couple but was actually written as an account of the beheading of King Louis XVI which was later followed by that of his wife, Marie Antoinette.

Another disturbing tune on our pre-school play list was inspired by Peter who supposedly killed his wife for being unfaithful to him and hid her body in a giant hollowed pumpkin. This poem was originally created to warm girls of the seriousness of committing adultery.

You would not think twice to argue that it is morally incorrect to place a child of three or four in front of a horror or thriller to keep them entertained for an hour or two. Why is it then that we actively set out as a part of the education and development of a child to teach them the words to these nursery rhymes which are too essentially horrors? It is the duty of any person who will have an influence on the education of our youth  to know where it is these poems come from, what they mean and for what purpose they were written. We are brain-washing our children. You and me, well we are living proof. We can spit out the words of these nursery rhymes almost instinctively and why? Because we lost our battle at the hand of a few rhyming syllables.

Act now to put a stop to such injustice! Save our children! Say no to nursery rhymes in pre-school education!