I found another site where you can learn the origins of nursery rhymes: http://www.rhymes.org.uk/
Todays nursery rhyme is a lullaby most people know called Rock a bye baby, the original title being Hush a bye baby:
Rock a bye baby on the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall
And down will come baby and cradle and all
Personally I think it's a good thing babies don't understand English while they're still at an age to be sung lullabies, because I don't find this one very soothing. However the meaning isn't quite as dark as it sounds. The first interpretation of this nursery rhyme dates back to the 17th century. It is said that this was the first poem written in America, inspired by the way native American mothers put their babies in birch baskets and hung them from trees so that the wind would rock them to sleep.
A second interpretation comes from Derbishire in England, and refers to a family of charcoal burners who lived in a yew tree, with one branch hollowed out to serve as a cradle for their eight children.
Then there was something about a baby being smuggled into the royal family in order to overtake King James II. The wind is a metaphore for political upheaval. I reckon this one's a bit far-fetched, and my bet's on the native American birch cradle tradition thing.
Todays nursery rhyme is a lullaby most people know called Rock a bye baby, the original title being Hush a bye baby:
Rock a bye baby on the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall
And down will come baby and cradle and all
Personally I think it's a good thing babies don't understand English while they're still at an age to be sung lullabies, because I don't find this one very soothing. However the meaning isn't quite as dark as it sounds. The first interpretation of this nursery rhyme dates back to the 17th century. It is said that this was the first poem written in America, inspired by the way native American mothers put their babies in birch baskets and hung them from trees so that the wind would rock them to sleep.
A second interpretation comes from Derbishire in England, and refers to a family of charcoal burners who lived in a yew tree, with one branch hollowed out to serve as a cradle for their eight children.
Then there was something about a baby being smuggled into the royal family in order to overtake King James II. The wind is a metaphore for political upheaval. I reckon this one's a bit far-fetched, and my bet's on the native American birch cradle tradition thing.
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