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Are There “Correct” Versions of Traditional Nursery Rhymes and Songs?

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

People often write to us looking for the correct version of a song or rhyme. Monique Palomares, who I work with on the songs and rhymes that are posted on Mama Lisa’s World wrote the following about this topic…

Until mass media devices were available, songs were mostly passed down through generations by oral transmission. Some of them are known to have authors because we can track them back to a written document mentioning the authors’ names and how they wrote them. But most traditional songs are anonymous. Therefore, there were no set versions. People would adapt the songs to their own surroundings or would forget a word and sing another, swap verses or lines or add a new one. This is why there isn’t such a thing as “THE TRUE version” or “THE CORRECT lyrics”… when talking about anonymous traditional songs.

What seems to be for each of us “the true, genuine, correct…lyrics ” is the version we learned, generally when we were a child. So it’s “always” been that way for us in our heads.

Unless a song has an author who left a copy of his work, when a song/rhyme has variants, there is only a” MOST KNOWN/SPREAD version”. Some songs have tens of versions… so imagine all the nursery rhymes or finger plays that every mom sings to her baby, multiplied by all the mothers out there, multiplied by all the times they may sing them differently according to their sense of humor, the babies’ sense of humor…! (Check out the many versions of Ride Ride Ranke and you’ll see what I mean!)

Monique Palomares has translated most of Mama Lisa’s World into French and Spanish. You can see her translations on Mama Lisa’s World en français and Mama Lisa’s World en español.

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Folk Songs, History of Nursery Rhymes, History of Nursery Rhymes, Languages, Lullabies, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Variations of Nursery Rhymes | No Comments »

Halloween Rhymes for Divination (or How to Predict Your Future Love!)

Friday, October 24th, 2008

I recently read “Games for Hallow-e’en” by Mary F. Blain (1912). In her book, Blain tells how to throw a Halloween Party. Though you must keep in mind that it’s from the perspective of almost a century ago. I like her description of Halloween:

Hallow-e’en or Hallow-Even is the last night of October, being the eve or vigil of All-Hallow’s or All Saint’s Day, and no holiday in all the year is so informal or so marked by fun both for grown-ups as well as children as this one. On this night there should be nothing but laughter, fun and mystery. It is the night when Fairies dance, Ghosts, Witches, Devils and mischief-making Elves wander around. It is the night when all sorts of charms and spells are invoked for prying into the future by all young folks and sometimes by folks who are not young.

At the end of Blaine’s description, she mentioned “the night when all sorts of charms and spells are invoked for prying into the future”. She was talking about how people felt that Halloween was an especially good time for divination – predicting the future. Kids especially played games where they could predict their future spouses’ names or occupations. This seems like a fun idea for kids, so I pulled out of Blaine’s book the games that specifically relate to predicting future loves and/or those that have rhymes or chants involved. Here they are, quoted directly from the book:

LOVER’S TEST

A maid and youth each places a chestnut to roast on fire, side by
side. If one hisses and steams, it indicates a fretful temper in owner
of chestnut; if both chestnuts equally misbehave it augurs strife. If
one or both pop away, it means separation; but if both burn to ashes
tranquilly side by side, a long life of undisturbed happiness will be
lot of owners.

These portentous omens are fitly defined in the following lines:

“These glowing nuts are emblems true
Of what in human life we view;
The ill-matched couple fret and fume,
And thus in strife themselves consume;
Or from each other wildly start,
And with a noise forever part.
But see the happy, happy pair,
Of genuine love and truth sincere;
With mutual fondness while they burn,
Still to each other kindly turn;
And as the vital sparks decay,
Together gently sink away;
Till life’s fierce trials being past,
Their mingled ashes rest at last.”

PERPLEXING HUNT

In this game the seeker for a prize is guided from place to place by
doggerels (verses) as the following, and is started on his hunt with this rhyme:

“Perhaps you’ll find it in the air;
If not, look underneath your chair.”

Beneath his chair he finds the following:

“No, you will not find it here;
Search the clock and have no fear.”

Under the clock he finds:

“You will have to try once more;
Look behind the parlor door.”

Tied to the door-knob he discovers:

“If it’s not out in the stable
Seek beneath the kitchen table.”

Under the kitchen table he finds another
note, which reads:

“If your quest remains uncertain,
You will find it ‘neath a curtain.”

And here his quest is rewarded by finding the prize.

APPLE SEEDS

Apple seeds act as charms on Hallowe’en. Stick one on each eyelid and
name one “Home” and the other “Travel.” If seed named travel stays on
longer, you will go on a journey before year expires. If “Home” clings
better, you will remain home. Again, take all the apple seeds, place
them on back of outspread left hand and with loosely clenched right
hand strike palm of left. This will cause some, if not all, of seeds
to fall. Those left on hand show number of letters you will receive
the coming fortnight. Should all seeds drop, you must wait patiently
for your mail.

Put twelve apple seeds carefully one side while you cut twelve slips
of blank paper exactly alike, and on one side of each write name of
friend. Turn them all over with blanks uppermost and mix them so that
you will not know which is which; then, holding seeds in your left
hand; repeat:

“One I love,
Two I love,
Three I love I say;
Four I love with all my heart
Five I cast away.
Six he loves,
Seven she loves,
Eight they both love;
Nine he comes,
Ten he tarries,
Eleven he courts and
Twelve he marries.”

Stop at each line to place a seed on a paper, and turn slip over to
discover name of one you love or cast away. Continue matching apple
seeds with papers as you count, until all twelve seeds and twelve
papers are used.

KISMET

Take half as many apples as guests, tie two long strings, one red and
one yellow, to each apple.

Place them in one large or several small baskets or receptacles on a
table. The girls choose the red and the boys the yellow strings and at
a signal they carefully pull the strings and follow them up until each
finds his or her mate holding the string of the opposite color,
attached to the same apple. The apples are then to be divided between
each couple and the seeds in each half, counted as follows:

One–I love thee.
Two–he (she) loves me.
Three–Wedded we will be.
Four–he (she) loves me dearly.
Five–he (she) loves me nearly.
Six–a friend forever.
Seven–we must sever.
Eight–we met too late.
Nine–why hesitate.
Ten–he (she) is my chosen mate.

AROUND THE WALNUT TREE

Of all Hallow-e’en spells and charms associated with nuts, the
following is one of the oldest: If a young man or woman goes at
midnight on Hallow-e’en to a walnut tree and walks around three times,
crying out each time, “Let him (her) that is to be my true love bring
me some walnuts,” future wife or husband will be seen in tree
gathering nuts.

GAME OF FATE

Guests take part, seated in a circle. Three Fates are chosen, one of
whom whispers to each person in turn name of his (her) future
sweetheart. Second Fate follows, whispering to each where he (she)
will next meet his (her) sweetheart; as, “You will meet on a load of
hay,” or, “at a picnic,” or, “at church,” or, “on the river,” etc. The
third Fate reveals the future; as, “You will marry him (her) next
Christmas,” or, “You will be separated many years by a quarrel, but
will finally marry,” or, “Neither of you will ever marry,” etc. Each
guest must remember what is said by the Fates; then each in turn
repeats aloud what has been told him (her). For example, “My future
sweetheart’s name is Obednego; I shall meet him next Wednesday on the
Moonlight Excursion, and we shall be married in a week.”

WHERE DWELLS MY LOVER?

Steal out unobserved at midnight; plucking a small lock of hair from
your head, cast it to breeze. Whatever direction it is blown is
believed to be location of future matrimonial partner.

“I pluck this lock of hair off my head
To tell whence comes the one I shall wed.
Fly, silken hair, fly all the world around
Until you reach the spot where my true love is found.”

ROSE TEST

Take two roses with long stems. Name one for yourself and one for your
lover. Go to your room without speaking to any one; kneel beside bed;
twine stems of roses together, and repeat following lines, gazing
intently on lover’s rose:

“Twine, twine, and intertwine,
Let my love be wholly thine.
If his heart be kind and true,
Deeper grow his rose’s hue.”

If your swain is faithful, color of rose will grow darker.

THE MIRROR

Walk backward several feet out of doors in moonlight with mirror in
your hand, or within doors with candle in one hand and mirror in
the other, repeating following rhyme, and face of your future
companion will appear in glass:

“Round and round, O stars so fair!
Ye travel and search out everywhere;
I pray you, sweet stars, now show to me
This night who my future husband (wife) shall be.”

NOTE FROM MAMA LISA – I’M NOT RECOMMENDING THAT CHILDREN PLAY THIS NEXT GAME! IT’S JUST INTERESTING TO READ ABOUT FROM AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE…

JUMPING LIGHTED CANDLE

Place a lighted candle in middle of floor, not too securely placed;
each one jumps over it. Whoever succeeds in clearing candle is
guaranteed a happy year, free of trouble or anxiety. He who knocks
candle over will have a twelve-month of woe.

[Another Note from Mama Lisa: This sounds like what's being described in the rhyme Jack Be Nimble.]

APPLE-SEED TEST

Cut an apple open and pick out seeds from core. If only two seeds are
found, they portend early marriage; three, legacy; four, great wealth;
five, a sea voyage; six, great fame as orator or singer; seven,
possession of any gift most desired.

If you’re interested, you can read the whole book that these rhymes are from. It’s online at: Games for Hallow-e’en.

Enjoy predicting your future on Halloween! It’s all in good fun!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Autumn, Canada, Countries & Cultures, Customs, England, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Games, Great Britain, Halloween, History of Nursery Rhymes, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes about Halloween, Nursery Rhymes about Holidays, Rhymes by Theme, Rhymes for Divination, USA | No Comments »

Fireworks Day – Bonfire Night – Guy Fawkes Day History and Songs

Friday, November 4th, 2005

November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day, one of the most popular holidays in England. Here’s the story of its origin:

In 1605 Guy Fawkes and a group of Catholic co-conspirators, in a famous scheme known as “The Gunpowder Plot”, tried to blow up the British Parliament. They hoped to kill the Protestant King, James I (who was persecuting Catholics at that time).

The conspirators hid gunpowder in the basement of the Parliament building, planning to detonate it around November 6th. Meanwhile, one of the conspirators started having second thoughts, because some of the people in the Parliament were sympathetic to the Catholic cause. He sent a letter to one of the members of parliament tipping him off to the plot.

On November 5th, Guy Fawkes was caught by the king’s men in the basement of the Parliament building. He was soon tortured and gave up the names of his co-conspirators. Later Guy Fawkes was hanged for treason. (It’s interesting to note that this is where the word “guy” comes from, originally meaning someone who looks strange.)

Some historians think the whole plot was actually a set-up, engineered by conservative Protestants, who successfully used the anger the supposed plan generated to encourage more persecution of Catholics.

Nonetheless, on November 5th in Great Britain, for nearly 400 years, children have made effigies of Guy Fawkes and burned them. Bonfires are also lit and fireworks set off.

Here’s a nursery rhyme sung on Guy Fawkes Day…

Please remember,
The fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I know no reason,
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

In some towns the holiday is called Bonfire Night. As the kids collect wood for the flames, and also once it has been lit, they dance in a circle around the bonfire singing…

Bonfire night,
The stars are bright,
Every little angel,
Dressed in white.
Can you eat a biscuit?
Can you smoke a pipe?
Can you go a-courting
At 10 o’clock at night?

To all the children in Britain, Happy Bonfire Night!

-Lisa

For more Guy Fawkes Songs, Rhymes and Chants…

Please comment below with any stories, songs or nursery rhymes about Guy Fawkes Day.

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Posted in British Children's Songs, Children's Songs, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Great Britain, Guy Fawkes Day Songs, History of Nursery Rhymes | No Comments »

The English Nursery Rhymes “Barney Bodkin Broke His Nose” (with an mp3 recording) and “Hyder Iddle Diddle Dell”

Wednesday, October 19th, 2005

Here’s an old Mother Goose rhyme that’s known to have been around since 1812…

Barney Bodkin Broke His Nose

Barney Bodkin broke his nose,
Without feet we can’t have toes;
Crazy folks are always mad,
Want of money makes us sad.

Here is an MP3 of this Nursery Rhyme

Nursery rhymes have come from various sources, including other songs that were around in the past. Barney Bodkin Broke His Nose is the first verse in a song called A Bundle of Truths, recorded on paper by Francis Douce in 1812. Here’s the next verse, which is fairly nonsensical…

A farthing rushlight’s* very small,
Doctors wear large bushy wigs.
One that’s dumb can never bawl,
Prickled pork is made of pigs.

*”Farthing rushlight” is the term for a cheap candle

Here’s the refrain from the same song, which is close to another nursery rhyme called Hyder Iddle Diddle Dell…

Right fol de riddle del
A yard of pudding’s not an ell*
Not forgetting didderum hi,
A taylor’s goose can never fly**.

*An “ell” is 45 inches, tailors used it to measure cloth
**A taylor’s goose can never fly because it’s an iron

The nursery rhyme version is…

Hyder Iddle Diddle Dell

Hyder iddle diddle dell
A yard of pudding’s not an ell
Not forgetting tweedle-dye,
A tailor’s goose can never fly.

It’s interesting to see where nursery rhymes come from. In this case two seemingly separate rhymes originated in the one song A Bundle of Truths.

Many thanks to Jason Pomerantz for recording this rhyme for Mama Lisa’s World.

Come visit Mama Lisa’s House of Nursery Rhymes for more Mother Goose rhymes!

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Posted in Barney Bodkin Broke His Nose, Countries & Cultures, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Great Britain, History of Nursery Rhymes, History of Nursery Rhymes, Languages, MP3 Recordings, Nursery Rhymes, Podcasts, Recordings of Nursery Rhymes | 3 Comments »

“A Frog He Would A-wooing Go”, “Georgie Porgie” and the Meaning of Roly-Poly

Friday, October 7th, 2005

A Connection Between A Frog He Would A-wooing Go and Georgie Porgie, Which Involves the Meaning of Rowley Powley.

I’ve always been fond of the song A Frog He Would A-wooing Go, which seems to have originated in Scotland in the sixteenth century. There are countless variations of this old favorite – most Americans know it as Froggy Went A Courtin’, He Did Ride, which has been recorded by Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan, among others.

Here’s the best known British version:

A Frog He Would A-wooing Go

A frog he would a-wooing go,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

So off he set with his opera hat,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
So off he set with his opera hat,
And on the road he met with a rat,
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me,
Kind Mrs. Mousey for to see…
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

They came to the door of Mousey’s hall,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Pray, Mrs. Mouse are you within?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Oh yes, kind sirs, I’m sitting to spin.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Pray, Mrs. Mouse will you give us some beer?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Pray, Mr. Frog will you give us a song?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Let it be something that’s not very long.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Indeed, Mrs. Mouse, replied Mr. Frog,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cold has made me as hoarse as a dog.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Since you have a cold, Mr. Frog, Mousey said,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
I’ll sing you a song that I’ve just made.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

But while they were all a-merry-making
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cat and her kittens came tumbling in.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

The cat she seized the rat by the crown,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

This put Mr. Frog in a terrible fright,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
He took up his hat and he wished them goodnight.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

But as Froggy was crossing over a brook,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
A lily white duck came and gobbled him up.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

So there was the end of one, two, three,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
The rat,
the mouse, and the little froggy.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.

Monique, my colleague at Mama Lisa’s World en français, has been translating many old songs into French. When she came to A Frog He Would A-wooing Go she was unsure what to make of “rowley powley” and she asked me what it meant. Hum, good question I thought. I really didn’t know.

When I thought about it, at first it seemed “With a Rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach” was just a nonsense call or phrase. Was that all there was to it? I decided to investigate.

So, I looked up “gammon” which is also not a common word, at least not in the States. I found out it refers to meat from the hind leg of a pig, often cured. It seems this “nonsense phrase” is talking about food.

Next I took out my Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes by Iona and Peter Opie to see if they refer to “rowley powley”. That’s usually the first book I’ll refer to when there’s a question about a nursery rhyme. Here’s what it had to say:

A Notes and Queries correspondent remembered seeing ‘rowley powley’ given as a name for a plump fowl.

This fit in with the food theme. Next I wanted to see if I could verify what they said. I typed “rowley powley” into Google and found a surprising connection to another popular rhyme: Georgie Porgie

Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.

It turns out Georgie Porgie was originally called Rowley Powley. (The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes confirms this.)

The rhyme was first recited as…

Rowley Powley, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
When the girls begin to cry,
Rowley Powley runs away.

Interesting… I decided to go back to Google and type in “rowley powley” again. This time I found the quote…

“Here’s your large Rowley Powlies, no more than Six-pence a Peck . . . Rowley Powley, jolly Pease.” -Cries of London (1784)

The quote was on a site called Food Reference Website under food quotes for “peas”. I wrote to James T. Ehler, the publisher of the site, to see if he knew anything more about “rowley powley”. He sent me back the definitions given in the Oxford English Dictionary, pointing out that the quote on his website refers to peas. Peas could also fit into a food theme.

In the definitions of “rowley powley” in the OED I noticed another way to spell it, “roly-poly”, which is in use in modern English. That changed the way I thought of the phrase.

I had thought it rhymed with towel. But seeing it spelled as “roly-poly”, would make it rhyme with roll or bowl. This changes things a little since “roly-poly” can mean short and plump, usually referring to a child. I believe Georgie Porgie can also mean the same thing in modern day usage.

The OED is amazingly comprehensive! Here are some other definitions for “rowley powley” it has, which are interesting in the context of the song A Frog He Would A-wooing Go and the nursery rhyme Georgie Porgie:

1) A rascal (mentioned in the year 1601) – could work for Georgie Porgie – since he’s kissing the girls and running away.
2) The name of different games based on rolling a ball (referred to in 1713) – could work for Georgie Porgie, only because it’s a nursery rhyme and it’s based on playing. I find this interpretation unlikely.
3) Short and pudgy, usually referring to kids. This could fit Georgie Porgie too, seeing as the current day usage of both “roly-poly” and “Georgie Porgie” can refer to a plump child.
4) A funny name for a pea – again, it could work for A Frog He Would A-wooing Go since it’s in the context of other foods.
5) “A kind of pudding, consisting of a sheet of pastry covered with jam or preserves, formed into a roll and boiled or steamed.” (Quoted directly from the OED, they found it mentioned this way in print as early as 1841). This definition obviously fits “Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie” and here we go with a food reference again, so it would fit in with A Frog He Would A-wooing Go too.

Starting with A Frog He Would A-wooing Go, let’s go back to the original context… “With a Rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach”. We’re left with the following choices:

1) A plump fowl
2) Peas
3) The pudding dish

And for Georgie Porgie, we’re left with the following possibilities:

1) A rascal
2) A short, plump kid
3) A kind of pudding

I’m not sure how we can determine which definition to use for A Frog He Would A-wooing Go, but for Georgie Porgie, “rowley, powley” could well be playing on words and mean all of the above.

In the end, as with so many nursery rhyme mysteries, we can only surmise. Maybe someday someone will invent a time machine and we’ll be able to travel back in time and find out for sure!

Many thanks to James T. Ehler from the Food Reference Site and Jason Pomerantz for help with this investigation.

Here’s a recipe for Roly-Poly Jam Pudding.

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Posted in A Frog He Would A-wooing Go, A Frog He Would A-wooing Go, Animal Songs, British Children's Songs, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Frog Songs, Georgie Porgie, History of Nursery Rhymes, History of Nursery Rhymes, Mouse Songs, Scottish Children's Songs, Songs by Theme | 11 Comments »

Where is Mother Goose from? Is she from France? From Germany?

Saturday, October 1st, 2005

As mentioned in my previous blog entry…

“Some people believe Berthe de Laon (726 to 783), the Mother of Charlemagne, was Mother Goose. She became queen of the Francs when she married Pépin le Bref . One of her feet was bigger than the other, and so she was known by her subjects as ‘Berthe au grand pied’ (in English ‘big-footed Bertha’). Berthe may also be the original model for la ‘Reine Pédauque’ (in English ‘Queen Goosefoot’), a figure of French legend, whose statue is found in front of some churches in France.”

As I read more, I have found that some people believe Mother Goose was another Berthe. This Berthe married King Robert II of France (Robert the Pious 970-1013), despite the fact that they were cousins. Pope Gregory V excommunicated Robert II for this. I keep coming across references in French about the couple giving birth to a goose. Perhaps they gave birth to a deformed child that people thought looked a little like a goose?

Meanwhile, if we switch to mythology, we find other instances of Bertha, often associated with children. Bertha is the Norse goddess of spinning. In German mythology, Bertha, is also known as Berchta. I found different references to Berchta as being: the goddess of growing things, the guardian of the souls of unborn babies, a fertility goddess. Sometimes she has a goosefoot and other times she has a golden spindle. At times she’s called Berta, dressed in white, who soothes babies while their caretakers sleep.

To confuse matters ever further, the goddess Bertha is also sometimes called Fru Gode and, it’s possible that she’s connected with Fru Gosen, which might be the German name for Mother Goose. *

Could the truth be that Mother Goose is a combination of one of the Queen Bertha’s of France, combined with the borrowed mythology of the goddess Bertha?

This could explain the origin of the legendary French figure, Goose-footed Bertha, who is usually portrayed as having children surrounding her, listening to her stories while she’s at the spinning wheel. Her foot got flattened from working the treadle for years.

*I originally read this in several places. Since then I’ve read that “Fru Gosen” may have been a mistranslation into English. Or it’s possible that it’s an old figure who didn’t make into into current folklore. If any knows more about Fru Gosen, please write me. Thanks! Lisa – UPDATE: Since then I’ve checked with several people from Germany, none of them were familiar with a German Mother Goose figure.

Many thanks to Monique for helping with the French connections. Monique is my partner in Mother Goosedom at Mama Lisa’s World en français.

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, English, English Nursery Rhymes, France, Germany, Great Britain, History of Nursery Rhymes, History of Nursery Rhymes, Languages, Mother Goose, Nursery Rhymes, The History of Mother Goose | 2 Comments »

Who was Mother Goose?

Friday, September 30th, 2005

Everyone knows Mother Goose, the jolly woman of legend who represents the beloved collection of English nursery rhymes. But who was Mother Goose really? Where did the name originate? Here are three of the best known theories…

The French Connection – Was Mother Goose Really French?

Some people believe Berthe de Laon (726 to 783), the Mother of Charlemagne, was Mother Goose. She became queen of the Francs when she married Pépin le Bref . One of her feet was bigger than the other, and so she was known by her subjects as “Berthe au grand pied” (in English “big-footed Bertha”). Berthe may also be the original model for la “Reine Pédauque” (in English “Queen Goosefoot”), a figure of French legend, whose statue is found in front of some churches in France.

This could be the origin of the legendary French figure, Goose-footed Bertha, who always has children around her listening to her stories.

In 1650, the first published mention of the name Mother Goose, is in French, in Loret’s La Muse Historique. The book contains the line “comme un conte de la Mère Oye” (in English “like a Mother Goose story”).

In 1697, Charles Perrault published Les Contes de ma Mère l’Oye, (in English “The Stories of Mother Goose”). Unlike later English language usage, here Mother Goose was a teller of stories, not a reciter of nursery rhymes. The book contains 8 fairy tales, including Little Red Riding Hood.

The American Connection – Could Mother Goose Have Been American?

Eliza Goose of Boston (probably short for Vertigoose or Vergoose) was the mother-in-law of a printer named Thomas Fleet. The story says that she often told nursery rhymes to her grandchildren. Supposedly, her son-in-law printed a book entitled Songs of the Nursery; or, Mother Goose’s Melodies for Children in 1719. There’s no proof that this book actually existed, except for the word of 3 people in the 19th century.

Did Mother Goose Actually Come from England?

Martha Gooch was a nursemaid who lived in Sussex in the early 1700’s. When people overheard her singing rhymes to the children in her care, she struck them as a bit odd. They began to tease her by calling her Mother Goose after Queen Goosefoot, the mother of Charlemagne.

Supposedly, one of Gooch’s employers overheard her reciting rhymes. He wrote them down and made a book of them in 1712 called Ye Melodious Rhymes of Mother Goose. This book however has never been proven to have existed.

The first printed edition of nursery rhymes collected under the name Mother Goose (as opposed to the fairy tales of Perrault, collected under the same name in 1697) was called Mother Goose’s Melody and was printed around 1765 in England.

I guess we’ll never know for sure who Mother Goose really was, but it’s fun to try to find out!

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Great Britain, History of Nursery Rhymes, History of Nursery Rhymes, Languages, Mother Goose, Nursery Rhymes, The History of Mother Goose | 1 Comment »

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Are There “Correct” Versions of Traditional Nursery Rhymes and Songs?

Halloween Rhymes for Divination (or How to Predict Your Future Love!)

Fireworks Day – Bonfire Night – Guy Fawkes Day History and Songs

The English Nursery Rhymes “Barney Bodkin Broke His Nose” (with an mp3 recording) and “Hyder Iddle Diddle Dell”

“A Frog He Would A-wooing Go”, “Georgie Porgie” and the Meaning of Roly-Poly

Where is Mother Goose from? Is she from France? From Germany?

Who was Mother Goose?