Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockleshells
And marigolds all in a row
There are a lot of famous women named Mary in history. do you think this applies to biblical Mary?
Silver bells...Christmas..Christ..Mary? Is it just coincidence?
2007-03-29 13:21:46 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The last part was cut off. It should say Mary...
2007-03-29 13:22:59 · update #1
No. This does not refer to the Biblical Mary.. It actually says, "Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With Silverbells and Cockleshells and pretty maids all in a row..." Well.. Maybe not.. But that's the way I've always heard it... Lol And if that is the case I wouldn't think it was the biblical Mary because it refers to her having maids, and the biblical Mary wouldn't have had maids seeing as how they were basically poor.
2007-03-29 13:28:05 · answer #1 · answered by Miranda 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, that nursery rhyme has been associated with various Marys throughout the years, but never the Virgin Mary. Some people think it refers to Mary, Queen of Scots, and others to Mary I of England, who tried to bring Catholicism back to that country.
And there are various explanations for the silver bells (Catholic cathedral bells), cockleshells (various torture devices used on heretics by Bloody Mary or a traditional pilgrim's badge), and pretty maids all in a row (anything from maids in waiting to Mary Queen of Scots' dead babies or even the Iron Maiden.)
However, nothing has ever been conclusively established about who the "real" Mary was intended to represent -- if she existed at all. The Blessed Virgin Mary was never associated with the rhyme.
2007-03-29 20:31:14 · answer #2 · answered by Wolfeblayde 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I believe that the rhyme is a reference to either Mary Tudor or Mary Queen of Scots. Try the board on Literature, Poetry, or History.
2007-03-29 22:13:17 · answer #3 · answered by Timaeus 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No that one does not belong to the Holy Mother, but Mary had a little lamb does
2007-03-29 20:33:59 · answer #4 · answered by tebone0315 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It was more likely Bloody Queen Mary I of England although Queen Mary I of Scotland has also been proposed.
2007-03-29 20:26:23 · answer #5 · answered by Dave P 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Definitely Not
2007-03-29 20:27:05 · answer #6 · answered by Wasabi 737 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ah no and it's pretty maids all in a row.
i always heard it was mary queen of scots
2007-03-29 20:50:11 · answer #7 · answered by Marysia 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
probably not....
considering Christmas and silver bells are Pagan and not in the Bible.
2007-03-29 20:26:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Boy you are really stretching for that one
2007-03-29 20:25:16 · answer #9 · answered by Jasmine 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I seriously doubt it.
.
2007-03-29 20:31:34 · answer #10 · answered by Weird Darryl 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋