Hidden origins of famous nursery rhymes

Nursery rhymes may sound playful and innocent, but many of them have surprisingly strange, political, or misunderstood backstories. (unsplash)

“Baa, Baa, Black Sheep”: This famous rhyme is believed to reference a medieval wool tax in England, where portions of wool profits went to the king, the church, and landlords, leaving little for farmers. (wikimedia commons)

“Ring Around the Rosie”: Although popularly linked to the plague, historians now largely consider that theory doubtful. Folklorists believe it was more likely a simple children’s circle game that evolved over time. (wikimedia commons)

“Goosey Goosey Gander”: Some historians connect this strange rhyme to the persecution of Catholic priests during the reign of King Henry VIII, when priests hid inside secret “priest holes.” (wikimedia commons)

“Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”: One theory suggests the rhyme originated among female prisoners at England’s Wakefield Prison, where women walked children around a mulberry tree in the courtyard. (wikimedia commons)

“Mary Had a Little Lamb”: Unlike darker nursery rhymes, this one was inspired by a real schoolgirl named Mary and her pet lamb in New Hampshire during the 19th century. (wikimedia commons)

“Humpty Dumpty”: Though now imagined as an egg, some theories suggest Humpty Dumpty may originally have referred to a cannon used during the English Civil War. (wikimedia commons)