History of Nursery Rhymes

The lyrics and song of the olden days including satires and poems ended in rhyming words to accentuate the theme. The origin of each rhyme is a study and excavating this will be a task. However it is necessary to find the beginning of such rhymes and hence a little work in retro nature will be interesting.

The origin of nursery rhymes is difficult to date back. Certain rhymes like ‘Sing a Song of sixpence’ have traces in the middle ages. Certain rhymes like ‘Jack and Jill’ have total music and also mild violent traces pertaining to probably the mid seventeenth century. Rhymes seem to be a branch of poetry and an expression of speech which was not a right in many countries of Europe. The English rhymes must surely have originated in England which was experiencing a sense of awakening in all aspects i.e. History and evolution.

Mother goose poems like ‘Rock a bye Baby’ suggests a mild violent strain with the baby falling down. Though the seriousness is perfectly camouflaged with the sing song tone and animation. There is also some lines of intimidating the baby in baby Bunting rhyme which goes,‘Bye, baby bunting, Daddy’s gone a-hunting, Gone to get a rabbit skin, To wrap the baby bunting in’. Mother goose poems have gone through a series of evolution and are comprehended to suit the needs of children’s literature.

It is also interesting to note that rhyme seems to be a part of ballads or stage interpretation. These vary with the possibility of migration and inter state communications. Vagabonds and travelers surely thought rhymes as a medium of communication or entertainment and improvised further creativity by narrating the same to children. What we seem to coach in nursery or daily lives to our children has been passed to us from generations. The rhyme in USA is altered when it comes to different parts of Europe. The evidence is seen in ‘Eena Mena Myna Mo’ rhyme which is worded differently in both states.

Satires and Haiku could be the source where rhymes have stemmed from. Drama and theatre activities were usual modes of entertainment from the 15th and 17 th century and this was incorporated in daily lives. Music was evident with different mingling of cultures and the same was used to rhyme. Various concepts like counting or facial expressions were incorporated in rhymes. Food and cuisine also features in ‘Sing a Song of sixpence’ and ‘Pat a Cake’ rhymes. Counting was easy with One two three four five, once I caught a fish alive.

The correct documentation is nowhere found except for hearsay in anthropological studies. The earlier days had limited writing instruments and medium which mostly perished due to lack of preserving techniques and ravages of war. One can see constant improvisation and modernization in the nursery rhymes with modern innovations in technology and communication. Rhymes definitely are soothing and music makes it better.