its late, but i feel like posting

[Foxx Girl]

i haven't slept in a couple days. I'm really tired all day, but wide awake at night. cant sleep in the day due to work. ever happen to you? it sux, i want to go to sleep, but its just not working. so I'm posting. so, how has your day been? nobody is on so I'll probably read the few replies i get on this post when i log on next. so give me something to read, tell me a story. I'm listening... what do you mean "a story about what"? a story about anything. about an experience of yours or a friend's, a story you heard somewhere or just random talking off the top of your head. maybe a rant or a thought. whatever. just start writing. that's all. good night.  

[DayRavin]

Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

Nursery Rhyme Origins & History

The origins are steeped in history... Bloody Mary!
The Mary alluded to in this traditional English nursery rhyme is reputed to be Mary Tudor, or Bloody Mary, who was the daughter of King Henry VIII. Queen Mary was a staunch Catholic and the garden referred to is an allusion to graveyards which were increasing in size with those who dared to continue to adhere to the Protestant faith - Protestant martyrs.

Instruments of Torture!
The silver bells and cockle shells referred to in the Nursery Rhyme were colloquialisms for instruments of torture. The 'silver bells' were thumbscrews which crushed the thumb between two hard surfaces by the tightening of a screw. The 'cockleshells' were believed to be instruments of torture which were attached to the genitals!

The " Maids" or Maiden was the original guillotine!
The 'maids' were a device to behead people called the Maiden. Beheading a victim was fraught with problems. It could take up to 11 blows to actually sever the head, the victim often resisted and had to be chased around the scaffold. Margaret Pole (1473 - 1541), Countess of Salisbury did not go willingly to her death and had to be chased and hacked at by the Executioner. These problems led to the invention of a mechanical instrument (now known as the guillotine) called the Maiden - shortened to Maids in the Mary Mary Nursery Rhyme. The Maiden had long been in use in England before Lord Morton, regent of Scotland during the minority of James VI, had a copy constructed from the Maiden which had been used in Halifax in Yorkshire. Ironically, Lord Morton fell from favor and was the first to experience the Maiden in Scotland!

Executions!
Another form of execution during Mary's reign was being burnt at the stake - a terrible punishment much used during the Spanish Inquisition. The English hated the Spanish and dreaded the idea of an English Inquisition. The executions during the reign of Bloody Mary were therefore viewed with a greater fear of the Spanish than the executions themselves - it is interesting to note that executions during her reign totalled less than 300 an insignificant amount compared to the executions ordered by her father King Henry VIII which are believed to have numbered tens of thousands!

I love nursery rhythms their all so morbid ^.^  

[DayRavin]

Rock a bye baby on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.




Origins of words to "Rock a bye baby" in American history
The words and lyrics to the "Rock a bye baby" rhyme are reputed to reflect the observations of a young pilgrim boy in America who had seen Native Indian mothers suspend a birch bark cradle from the branches of a tree. Thus enabling the wind to rock the cradle and the child to sleep! This rhyme is also known as "Hush a bye baby" which is the correct title. The confusion regarding these lyrics occurred due to the popularity of the old Al Jolson classic song "Rock a bye my baby with a Dixie melody!".


Origins of words to "Rock a bye baby" in English history
dating back to the 1700's

The story of the Nursery Rhyme relates to a family who lived in a tree house which was formed within a massive Yew tree. The Yew Tree concerned was believed to be nearly 2000 years old. The family were charcoal burners who lived in Shining Cliff Woods, Ambergate, Derbyshire in the 1700's. The ancient occupation of Charcoal Burning would be conducted by people who actually lived in the woods. Just like like this family. Their names were Kate and Luke Kennyon and they lived in what was locally called the 'Betty Kenny Tree' - a colloquialism for Kate Kenyon. The Kenyons had 8 children and a tree bough was hollowed out to act as a cradle for their children! Shining Cliff Woods was owned at the time by the Hurt family. The Kenyons were favoured by the Hurts who commissioned the artist James Ward of the Royal Academy to paint their portraits. The Yew tree still exists but was severely fire damaged by vandals in the 1930s.

While some are sweet/ish

 

[Foxx Girl]

I have learned something today. thank you DayRavin. Anyone else want to contribute?  

[DayRavin]

^.^ Welcomes  

[mamarita]

interesting as to the origins...  

[Raven Vandamere]

Well... I am playing Zelda and the Majoras Mask...figured I could share that with you hahah  

[Vanished Moonlight]

Going days without sleep sucks, hope you are able to fall asleep soon. 3nodding I haven't been getting much sleep as well, i pretty much passed out last night, i have been doing that all week, especially since school started. ._.
I really have nothing to say, besides that i started driving not too long ago. Im pretty good at it, although i believe i scared my teacher when i drove into the other lane on a turn... turning isn't the best thing for me right now... sweatdrop But ill get better, just need a little more practice. ^^