Mulberry Tree nursery rhyme

[yazzyfooty]

Anyone ever wondered where nursery rhymes come about?

Mulberry Bush =This nursery rhyme stems from a work house in Wakefield from 15 century whereby the children of women imprisoned were kept in the work house and taught skills. The children used to dance around the Mulberry Tree singing here we go round the mulberry bush the mulberry bush to keep warm on a cold frosty morning. This is the way we brush our hair etc etc etc.

The original Mulberry bush (which is now a very large tree with a preservation order on it) from this song still stands in the grounds of Wakefield Prison and is one of the oldest recorded trees in history.

Ring O ring O roses
Is about the great plague. people that were inflicted with this disease came out with skin lesions which closely resembled roses in a circular formation. The tissue tissue we all fall down...was that people with the plague also tended to sneeze a lot prior to dying and falling down dead.

Anyone got background on other nursery rhymes?

[Letz]

Goosey Goosey Gander.....
is about priests hiding from the authorities during the reigns of Mary & Elizabeth I

A lot of nursery rhymes are about events in history, most of them serious.

Pop goes the weasle
Pease Pudding
The Bells of London (oranges & Lemons)
Cock Robin
Pussy's in the well
See Saw Margery Daw

Sadly I can't remember all the stories right now

[triplefin]

Pop in pop goes the weasel means porn (not the sexy sort) a weasel is a type of flat iron and used to be porned on a regular basis.

[yazzyfooty]

Originally Posted by triplefin

Pop in pop goes the weasel means porn (not the sexy sort) a weasel is a type of flat iron and used to be porned on a regular basis.

Jane do you mean pawned? as in 3 balls symbol? I aint having a dig at your spelling by the way just clarification. Thanks also for adding another nursery rhyme.

[Lou]

We were taught that both Mary. Mary Quite Contrary and the Grand Old Duke of York were "historically" based.

Mary, Mary being about the reign of Mary Tudor and the torture and death of Protestants under her. Silver bells and cockles shells were something to do with torture and the "pretty maidens" were the precursors to guillotines.

The Grand of Duke was Richard of York giving battle in vain - getting beaten!

[triplefin]

yes i do ...sorry mis spelling was deliberate...I know i have crap spelling at times but this was deliberately done just my warped sense of humour

[dry suit diver]

Originally Posted by triplefin

Pop in pop goes the weasel means porn (not the sexy sort) a weasel is a type of flat iron and used to be porned on a regular basis.

Yup usually done on a friday night to give the clothes makers some money for the weekends, if they had a lucky weekend with the gambling they had money to get the Weasel out of hock.

Just off City Road on Sheperdess Walk there is a pub called the Eagle, which strangely enough backs onto the area of London once famous for Cloth and clothes, Haberdasher Street, Curtain street, Fashion Street etc

[triplefin]

The original Eagle pub was knocked down it was a music hall come pub where they used to gamble.
Another meaning for the weasel is that it may be rhyming slang, weasel and stoat - coat, which was pawned. However given the amount of tailors and businesses to do with fabrics laundry etc in that area I think the flat iron is more likely.

[yazzyfooty]

Originally Posted by dry suit diver

Yup usually done on a friday night to give the clothes makers some money for the weekends, if they had a lucky weekend with the gambling they had money to get the Weasel out of hock.

Just off City Road on Sheperdess Walk there is a pub called the Eagle, which strangely enough backs onto the area of London once famous for Cloth and clothes, Haberdasher Street, Curtain street, Fashion Street etc

crikey all them names brings back childhood memories. some not so fond as others lol

[Jay]

Originally Posted by Lou

We were taught that both Mary. Mary Quite Contrary and the Grand Old Duke of York were "historically" based.

Mary, Mary being about the reign of Mary Tudor and the torture and death of Protestants under her. Silver bells and cockles shells were something to do with torture and the "pretty maidens" were the precursors to guillotines.

The Grand of Duke was Richard of York giving battle in vain - getting beaten!

Yay for Wakefield - Grand ole Duke of York has another Wakefield connection. The 'hill' refers to Sandal Castle which was beseiged by the Duke of York. Just down the road from me