What did you think when you learn the meaning behind some childhood nursery rhymes?

Answer 1

I heard "Ring around the Rosy" is actually about the Plague.
'Ring around the rosy"-people used to get rose colored spots with rings around them on their skin in the first stages of the disease
"A pocket full of posies"-people believed if they put flowers (posies) in their pockets they would be safe from the disease
"Ashes ashes"-peoples skin would turn an ashy color in the last stages of the disease
"We all fall down"-people dying. That verse also reflects the sheer enormity of the lives that fell to the Plague.
When I first heard that I was kind of surprised because I liked playing that game when I was little. But then I actually went through the rhyme verse by verse and it made sense.

Answer 2

Like the Ring around the Rosie was about the Black Death? I was a little freaked out every time I played it after I learned that.
And when I heard the one "when the bow breaks, the cradle will fall" I was a little shaken up too. Seriously, time for some better nursery rhymes! They're traumatizing!

Answer 3

Like?
Can someone fill me in on what the real meaning behind nursery rhymes are??

Answer 4

Just funny and they made no sense to me.

I liked your Q. I always wondered why ever were children taught senseless, outdated, Rhymes that did not make sense of fit us culturally.

Answer 5

I always thought "ring around the rosy" was creepy so i wasn't to surprised when i found out it was about the Black Death.

Answer 6

I thought it was awful when i found out that ring a ring a roses was about the black plague

Answer 7

Ring-around-the-rosy was about the Black Plague~~not somthing I would want my kids to chant!

Answer 8

They contain masked political slogans of a bygone era.

Answer 9

i can't say i have learnt any meanings. why don't you share some for the oblivious...