Danish Nursery Rhymes | Mama Lisa's World Blog

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Can Someone Help with 2 Danish or Swedish Nursery Rhymes? We Have a Recording of Them!

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Lori wrote:

Dear Mama Lisa,

I am so excited to find this website because I have been searching for many years to find out about two Danish or Swedish nursery rhymes (you can listen to them by clicking the link). My mother’s beloved grandfather, Lars Christensen, used to bounce her on his knee and recite these rhymes. She then passed them on to me…and neither one of us know what they mean. Lars’ parents were both from Denmark: His father from the Brenderup, Odense, area and his mother from Lynge, Juteland area. So we think the rhymes may be Danish and probably date from the early 1800’s. However, Lars’ wife’s parents were from Sweden: Her father from Vallby, Kirkedinge area and her mother from Sallerup, Malmohus area. So there is a possibility that they are Swedish.

They might be so distorted coming from the mouth of an old Danish man through the memory of a small American girl and passed on to another generation, but I am hopeful that someone may recognize them.

My dear mother’s 80th birthday is coming up and I would love to surprise her with a written version or reading of the original, an English interpretation, or any information about any one of these two nursery rhymes. No matter how silly, they are very important to us because they are a link to our sacred, and loved ancestral roots.

Thank you so much,

Lori

If anyone can help out Lori, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

PS We know the first rhyme is a version of Ride ride ranke, and Lori checked the versions posted on the blog in the past, but couldn’t find it there.

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Danish, Danish Children's Songs, Danish Nursery Rhymes, Denmark, Languages, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Rhea Rhea Runkin, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Children's Songs, Swedish Nursery Rhymes, USA | 1 Comment »

Can anyone help with a Danish Nursery Rhyme?

Friday, August 29th, 2008

Tim wrote:

Can anyone help with a Danish Nursery Rhyme called “Madiesen”? I am unsure about the spelling.

Apparently it is about a young boy riding a pig and falling through the ice.

Thanks,

Tim

If anyone can help with the Danish lyrics, and/or an English translation, please comment below.

Thanks!

Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Danish, Danish Nursery Rhymes, Denmark, Languages, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions | 4 Comments »

The Origins of Some Scandinavian Toe Naming Rhymes

Wednesday, December 13th, 2006

Julie and Beth wrote looking for the origins of two Scandinavian rhymes that are played with little kids while touching their toes. We’re wondering if anyone’s ever heard of these rhymes and perhaps knows what country they’re from and/or anything else about their origins. Here’s what Julie wrote:

I have been searching for the origin of a nursery rhyme that my friend said to her kids. The child has his/her shoes off and starting with the little toe, she names the toes:

Little Pea (little toe)
Peter Lou (next toe)
Oosey Nossey (next toe)
Toosey tossey (next toe)
And a Great Big Oppososso (big toe)

I am not sure of the spelling. However, the University of Wisconsin Children’s Library assures me that this toe rhyme has Scandinavian roots. They said: Scandinavia is known for naming toe rhymes.

Please help me, I have been searching the origin of this toe playing game for years with my friend’s blessing. My friend is Scandinavian and she doesn’t remember where she heard this toe playing game. I assume that she heard it as a child.

Julie

Beth Bookschlepper wrote in looking for the origin of a similar rhyme:

I know this as…

Little Pea,
Penny Rou,
Judy Whistle,
Mary Tossle,
And Big Tom Bumble.

I am also interested in its origins.

If anyone can help, or would like to share other similar rhymes, please comment below.

Thanks!

Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Danish, Danish Nursery Rhymes, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Icelandic, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Rhymes by Theme, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Nursery Rhymes, Toe Naming Rhymes | 59 Comments »

Question about the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Nursery Rhyme “Ride Ride Ranke”

Saturday, December 31st, 2005

Pamela wrote me about a rhyme that I’ve been asked about many times. Here’s what she wrote…

Hello,

I am interested in finding a nursery rhyme in the Danish language which I learned as a child and have passed on to my children as well. I hope you can help me locate this rhyme. It is about an alligator or crocodile sneaking up on someone sitting on a log at the edge of a lake. I am probably not remembering the Danish words correctly, and I don’t speak Danish at all, but it sounds something like this:

A rita, rita, runkin
Demile hans hoose,
Devoon yemoon
Kot on a moose
On little wahoon
Syin on a bankin
Slick upon a slick a sow
Woof! Woof! Woof!

I have probably completely ruined the rhyme with my bad memory, but I am very interested in learning it correctly. The Woof! Woof! Woof! Part is where the alligator eats the person.

Thank you!

If anyone knows this rhyme, many people out there would be grateful for the corrrect words. Please comment below or email me with the correct version!

Thanks!

Lisa

UPDATE: I posted one Swedish version of Rida rida ranka on my Swedish Song Pages, one Danish version of Rida rida ranke, and 2 Norwegian Versions of Rida rida ranke on Mama Lisa’s World’s Norway pages.

More versions in the comments below…

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Danish, Danish Children's Songs, Danish Nursery Rhymes, Denmark, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Rhea Rhea Runkin, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Children's Songs, Swedish Nursery Rhymes | 76 Comments »

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Posts

Can Someone Help with 2 Danish or Swedish Nursery Rhymes? We Have a Recording of Them!

Can anyone help with a Danish Nursery Rhyme?

The Origins of Some Scandinavian Toe Naming Rhymes

Question about the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Nursery Rhyme “Ride Ride Ranke”