More nursery rhymes and their meanings

_Elsa_

BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP

Baa, Baa a black Sheep,

Have you any Wool?

Yes merry have I,

Three Bags full,

One for my master,

One for my Dame,

One for the little Boy

That lives down the lane.

Meaning & Origin - The Real Personages of Mother Goose (1930) suggests that the heavy taxation on wool inspired this rhyme in the thirteenth century. With the medieval English wool tax of 1275 perspective, the bags of wool represent taxes paid to the Master (King/State) and Dame (Church). 

GOOSEY, GOOSEY, GANDER

Goosey, goosey, gander,

Whither dost thou wander?

Upstairs and downstairs

And in my lady’s chamber,

There I met an old man Who wouldn’t say his prayers.

I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs.

Meaning & Origin - Popular interpretations suggest that lady’s chambers represent priest holes or hiding places for Catholic priests during the persecutions under King Henry VIII in the sixteenth century. 

THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.

She had so many children she didn’t know what to do.

She gave them some broth without any bread.

She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.

Meaning & Origin - Debates continue over the historical figure with a large family described in this rhyme. Most common interpretations reference King George II (and Queen Caroline) as the main subject claiming that King George II was nicknamed the “old woman,” because it was widely believed that Queen Caroline was the real power behind the throne. The old woman is unable to control the children (members of Parliament) and puts them to bed (the House of Commons) where they met daily.’ (Source) 

Let’s continue - Nursery rhymes and their meanings continued ..

Start at the beginning – The story of Mother Goose