Nursery Rhymes are Evil?

Today in class one of my teachers mentioned how certain nursery rhymes have double and usually explicit meaning. He mentioned that the old rhyme about "Jack and Jill" is about sex and how when jack loses his crown, it really means he lost his virginity. he also said how Humpty Dumpty is about the collapsing British government. does anyone know if this is true and could possibly provide a website that can tell me more about this.

He/she is probably right about that Nursery Rhymes do have another meaning, but I am not sure whether those ones you mentioned mean what was said.

I do know that Ring-a-ring-a-Roses is about the 'Black Death' plague.

They all possibly have some origin to an event of some kind.

reply to post by N. Tesla


double meanings, yes, but highly unlikely they are evil

sex is evil is portrayed from a religious stand point

Ah, found the link now, have a look at this:-

www.rhymes.org.uk...

You could interpret those rhyms in multiple ways.
Humpty Dumpty could have been a King, who, due to inaction (sitting on the fence), caused his own downfall. So bad, no one could restore him to power.
It could be Humpty was symbolism for the ego. Perhaps crossing the abyss, and then nothing was ever the same again!
Humpty could have, in real life, been a quasi-famos village idiot, who actually did fall off a wall and cracked his head open. The kings men tried to fix him back up, but he died anyway.
It could all be a kabbalistic allegory.
You can find double entendres in anything, if you have the creativity.

Here's the wiki on Jack and Jill:
Jack n Jill

not sure about evil but my wife and I were pretty freaked out when we started reading them to our daughter one night. they're pretty hilarious and somewhat frightening and they certainly seem to be written for mature audiences.

Just look at Rock a bye Baby.

Rock-a-bye on a tree top.
When the wind blows thr cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks the cadle will fall.
Down will come baby, Cradle and all.


Baby falling out of a tree. Splatting the ground. Even if no hidden meaning still crazy>

en.wikipedia.org...

thanks for the help this is very interesting. who would have thought innocent songs like that have something that disturbing behind it. and guess you don't think about this stuff until someone points it out.

yeah, these are meant for impressionable minds

"I had a little pony..."
by Mother Goose


I had a little pony,
His name was Dapple-gray,
I lent him to a lady,
To ride a mile away;
She whipped him, she slashed him,
She rode him through the mire;
I would not lend my pony now
For all the lady's hire.


nothing says nursery rhyme like drowned kids

"Three children sliding on the ice..."
by Mother Goose
Three children sliding on the ice
Upon a summer's day,
As it fell out, they all fell in,
The rest they ran away.

Now had these children been at home,
Or sliding on dry ground,
Ten thousand pounds to one penny
They had not all been drowned.

You parents all that children have,
And you that have got none,
If you would have them safe abroad,
Pray keep them safe at home.




[edit on 16-7-2008 by Crakeur]