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| Baa baa black sheep |
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full,
One for the master, one for the dame,
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.'
Although this rhyme was first published in 1744 it is believed to have been around for much longer. In fact, it is thought that it was written in the Middle Ages during the reign of King Edward II (1307 - 1327). This seemingly innocent children's nursery rhyme about a black sheep yielding three bags of wool actually has political undertones like many of the nursery rhymes from that era.
During the Middle Ages the wool industry in England was huge and wool was a very valuable commodity. England produced the best wool in Europe and peasants were required to pay their taxes in the form of sacks of wool. They gave a third to the King (the master), a third to the nobility (the dame) and they were allowed to keep the final third for themselves (the little boy who lived down the lane). To be honest, taxes nowadays don't seem quite so bad when you think about it!
I find it amazing that this rhyme has survived for 700 years and that we are still teaching it to our children in the 21st Century.
Comments
Jaye - it is fascinating and yes, many of the stories behind them are 'dark'. Much more to come! :-)
Just visiting from the A to Z challenge.
Marian Allen
Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes
Abi - 'black sheep of the family' does have a connection with the rhyme. The peasants' sheep mainly had black wool as it was deemed to be of a lower grade than white wool. That's where 'black sheep of the family' comes from. A person who is worth less than the rest of the family.
Hi Angeline. Thanks for dropping by. I also love the origins of sayings and that's what got me on to the nursery rhymes.
Good luck with challenge!
found you on A to Z, will be back to read more of your letters.
best,
MOV
When you start to look into nursery rhymes it's quite fascinating.
Good luck with the challenge!
Linda - thanks!
Sorry to see you're not doing the challenge but you're clearly incredibly busy!
Happy blogging :-)
I think nursery rhymes are a great way for children to learn language skills, rhyme and rhythm and have fun at the same time regardless of the meaning behind some of the rhymes.
Anna@ Herding Cats & Burning Soup
It's funny when you start to look into these rhymes. They all seem so innocent at first but when you look a bit deeper many of them have quite 'dark' undertones.