What are Nursery Rhymes

Decorated pumpkins
Corel Stock Photo Library 2, Decorated Pumpkins
Source: The World Book Encyclopdia
The actual phrase "nursery rhyme" did not originate until 1824 in a Scottish periodical "Blackwood Edinburgh Magazine". Before then these rhymes were called "ditties" or "songs".

It is believed that nursery rhymes are pieces of ballads, prayers, proverbs, street chants or tavern songs. Some may have been used for costums or rituals: While more still might have been based on real people (like "Old King Cole") or events ("Hey Diddle, Diddle"). These rhymes were mainly to entertain adults (before the 1800's) and only the alphabet or numerical rhymes were meant for children.

Many of these rhymes didn't come about until the 1600's but there are some that were around earlier. There is said to be 10 different categories:

  1. Lullabies
  2. Singing Games
  3. Nonsense
  4. Riddles
  5. Counting or Learning
  6. Tongue Twisters
  7. Verse Stories
  8. Cumulative Rhymes
  9. Manners
  10. Finger/Hand Plays