Hey Diddle Diddle's Hidden Code: Nursery Rhyme Mysteries Revealed
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- Опубліковано 11 жов 2024
- Have you ever wondered if nursery rhymes hold hidden messages or deeper symbolism? Join us on a fascinating journey as we dive deep into the origins of the classic nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle: The Cat and the Fiddle." 🐱🎻
In this eye-opening video, we'll uncover the secrets and hidden codes concealed within the whimsical verses of this beloved rhyme. From mysterious characters to cryptic phrases, you'll be amazed at what's been hiding in plain sight all along.
Prepare to have your perception of this childhood favourite transformed as we unveil the layers of meaning within "Hey Diddle Diddle." Whether you're a folklore enthusiast, a curious mind, or just a lover of intriguing mysteries, this video is a must-watch.
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The first explanation makes the most sense. Knowing when to plant crops matters a lot more to people than pub games.
Musicians and singers though, might typically spend more time than most in ale houses and taverns. It's a possible origin but there are very few songs of this sort in the English musical canon, John Barleycorn probably the most widely sung
The earth revolves around the sun which gives a different view of constellations year round.@@bigbossimmotal
Makes me realise how much knowledge was lost in humanity.
The first explanation makes sense --- to the modern mind --- but the other explanations are equally plausible if the nursery rhyme originated in 16th century milieu, where open criticism of the monarch could get you beheaded.
Farmers knew when to plant crops based on the seasons and have known that for centuries and still do. As for saying we have lost so many skills compared to our forefathers is rubbish, we now are much better at producing abundance then ever before. Our ability to store crops, get much better yields, fight plant diseases and pests is better than ever. The past wasn't a nice place to live, life was extremely harsh for most people and life expectancy was short, especially for children.
All of the possibilities are intriguing, but what stands out in my mind is the agricultural one. The word, "Diddle," could have changed over the years, with the original word being "Dibble." A Dibble is a planting tool that is used to make a hole for the seed. "Hey Dibble Dibble," if my theory is correct, is the rhyme to tell farmers when to get their dibbles out for planting. Dibble doesn't exactly rhyme with Fiddle, so it was changed (in my theory) over the years to Diddle.
Thank you for sharing your insight, I think it's a great idea and fits perfectly!
Yes, a dibble or dibber. Great idea.
And a riddle drum used in agriculture,which was used as a drum in English folk music.
Sounds good. Much like how I think Butterfly was originally Flutter-by, much like an early Spoonerism.
Hay, not hey. Perhaps
There's even a Hindi version of it
"Hai sirangi hai billai
Chand ke upar koodha gai
Chota kutta gilgilai
Donga chamach le bhagai"
Sirangi is a violin/fiddle, billai is from billi, cat
Chand is the moon and a gai is a cow
Upar koodha means to jump up or over
Chota kutta is a small dog, gilgilai is to giggle
A donga is a dish, a chamach is a spoon and bhagai is to run
Of course there's poetic licence as with every language
This was 20 minutes of truly fascinating lore, narrated by a spellbinding voice. Thank you so very much!
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed! 😊🖤
Your voice really is lovely, and the pacing and pronunciations or words have a decided professionalism in the narration. Do you do voice-overs or books on tape ?
So well said about this fine ladies presentation ,second to none with exciting algerythems with each turn of her tongue.
@@The-Resurrectionists He has my cell phone. Give me 3 lifts.
Wholeheartedly agree
Thank you so very much for this! Hey Diddle, Diddle has always been my favorite nursery rhyme for the entire 71 years of my life. I believe the first explanation is probably the true origin. Both my grandfather and father were farm people and always looked to the skies for direction. My dad knew all the constellations and was always pointing them out to us and friends. I also think the last explanation has validity to the rhyme's meaning. I think it really is a very old rhyme and the items mentioned in it would be valued in a person's household.
You're very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Wow, that's truly heart-warming to hear! It must have been such a wonderful experience to have your father point out star constellations to you. I find that farmers often have a unique and deep connection to nature, and their wisdom about the land and the stars can be incredibly inspiring. It's a reminder of the profound connection between humanity and the natural world. Thank you for sharing this beautiful memory with us 😊🖤
Wonderful comment. Thank you.
I wholeheartedly agree
AND
One thing we all know, in 2023, is how abundant and prolific conspiracy theories can be.
A rhyme for teaching and remembering would be easy prey for conspiracy theorists of any time. There is also much truth to the idea of having to hide one’s true meaning for fear of the autocrat. That said, I choose the simplest explanation as the most plausible.
I agree. There is absolutely no reason why the average person would be concerned about Court intrigues to the extent of recalling a rhyme for centuries! I am prepared to believe that a well know rhyme could have been the basis for a parody though. Thus, 'stories' that the rhyme refers to some scandal when in fact it has a completely different meaning.
Wow ❤
As aprofessional voice-over artists and a teacher of English history I cannot but doff my cap to these brilliant illuminating videos you lovingly put together. Kudos!
Thank you so much, that is high praise indeed! Really appreciate the kind words 😊🖤
These are great! I have my own OUT OF THE BOX theory. During that era violin strings were made of lamb, cow and cat gut. Perhaps it’s a rhyme about the cow celebrating that she was spared due to the fact that the cat’s intestines were used. (Hence the cat and the fiddle, the violin and the strings) The dog laughed because it knew that his intestines would never be used for violin strings. The dish running after the spoon may have meant that since the cow had not been slaughtered, they went looking for a new feast to serve. Perhaps lamb!
I like it!
I think your idea is absolutely brilliant! I'm an out of the box type myself so I love it when someone else comes up with something no one else has. Bravo!
Today on things I wish I didn't know because they're depressing. lol
Catgut was never actually from cats though. The intestinal collagen used to make catgut came from ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) which cata aren't.
The term catgut came from the name of a medieval instrument called a kytte - pronounced 'kit'. Catgut literally means "strings for a kytte".
Interesting.
The version I know from childhood had the line "The little dog laughed to see such fun"
I'm British and every book I have seen has the line written this way, I had not heard this videos version before.
Yes, I also grew up with the 'fun' line. In the early printed versions, 'sport' was predominantly used, while variations like 'fun' emerged later, which is why I delved into it in this video. What's fascinating is that these variations seem to have regional roots, hinting at a rich tradition of oral storytelling before they were ever documented. In Australian versions, you often come across 'sight' or 'craft,' while 'fun' and 'sport' tend to prevail in versions from the United Kingdom and the United States. It adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story, doesn't it?
@@The-Resurrectionists It is strange how these kinds of tales are worldwide but with so many subtle differences. Maybe a case of "Chinese whispers" from the people who travelled around the world sharing stories and songs wherever they went 🤷
That's funny because I've always heard "sport"!
This is the first I've heard of 'fun'. I grew up with 'sport'.
The farming theory; There are 2 crucial pieces missing from the theory to validate it. The first being if there is actually a time of year where Leo, Lyra, Taurus, Canis Minor, Crater(Corves and Crater, not actually Apollo's chalice) and the Big Dipper(or Little Dipper if the former is actually incorrect) are in the night sky together.
The second is whether or not the rhyme only refers to a single time of year or a series of dates a farmer would follow throughout the year. Half of the rhyme denotes movement or action, Taurus moving over the moon, the dish and spoon moving in the same direction.
In the case that it really is a farmers star chart then we can assume the opener was simply meant to be a catchy pneumonic device intended to make it more easy to remember, and the cat isn't playing the fiddle, they're just seen together. But what is the dog laughing at?
Also it makes the most sense for it to be a farmer's rhyme since it's intended for children. Sordid affairs of the royal court and pub games wouldn't be made so easy for a child to remember unless someone really wanted to test the boundaries of lèse-majesté while shaming sitting monarchs. But a farmer trying to teach his kids? Yeah, that sounds highly probable.
Fall September/October
The farming hypothesis makes so much sense but something just started bothering me about it, beginning with Taurus and the moon. While the constellations shift each night as the Earth itself moves on its yearly and daily revolutions/rotations, which puts them in the same spot at specific times of day/night on each day of the year (correct?), that's not the case for the Moon. So every year Taurus and the Moon are in different relative positions.. and then if that's out, even though it makes sense to have these instructions in a nursery rhyme (for any family that would potentially want to remember when to plant their gardens), where are the instructions? Given we are not waiting for the point in the spring when Taurus is over the Moon (as that would change drastically every year), then in order to make use of these celestial markers for an average family, you need some kind of a key based on known landmarks or compass directions on the horizon (like that the cat has to be on the horizon where the sun sets and the fiddle on the horizon where the sun rises).. and the rhyme itself doesn't appear to have any coded instructions for using these markers in that way, and it seems strange a mnemonic would be created that does half of the job in holding that essential planting knowledge for a culture...
Thank you for your thought provoking discussion. Your first explanation of the time to plant crops makes sense. But I'm also intrigued on your Tudor slant on the symbols of the nursery rhyme. DIDDLE DIDDLE definitely has echoes of the Queenship that Katharine of Aragon was robbed of. The CAT & THE FIDDLE expands on the theme: a cat can walk in places inaccessible to humans (Henry could venture with impunity, where no other human could go). "Fiddle" is also used as slang for a dishonest transaction. The LITTLE DOG LAUGHED- people who cheat others are often called "dogs" & they are "little" or insignificant politically, "laughing" to please the King. The DISH & SPOON - a beautiful woman is sometimes referred to as a "dish" & "spooning" is also used to allude to stolen sexuality outside wedlock. And they "RAN AWAY" or abandoned the traditional marital laws of the time. AN INTRIGUING ALLUSION!!
Thank you for tuning in and for your valuable insights! I've frequently contemplated the same question regarding the term 'fiddle'-whether it truly refers to a violin or if it's a subtle means of describing someone as a cheat. It is all a very intriguing puzzle!
@@The-Resurrectioniststhis reminds me of an old bawdy tune. Some of the lyrics, as sung by a woman, go "A master of music came with an intent, to give me a lesson on my instrument. I thanked him for nothing and bid him be gone, for my little fiddle must not be played on." A fiddle and bow can definitely be construed as a metaphor for intimate congress.
It's possible for both to be correct, each according to the times!
We have to be cautious to not place our own allusions onto a piece of verse from an earlier time. The meanings, hidden and overt, of words change over time. What seemed obvious then, can be irretrievably opaque now, just as meanings that we see clearly today may not in fact have any validity at all in relation to the original meaning.
@@jenniferwintz2514 I like that!!🤣
I think all of the theories you illustrated are noteworthy. The farming hypothesis speaks deeply to me. I am not myself a farmer, but come from a long tradition of farming families. My knowledge of farming and gardening still benefits me and sometimes my neighbors. My dad also pointed out stars and constellations to me and my sisters, but the planting traditions I grew up with were more tied with holidays. (e.g. potatoes are planted around St. Patrick's Day, peas go in around Candlemas aka Groundhog Day and this is also when sheep may start lambing, etc.) The Church holidays are old. Constellations are older. This all tracks to me. Furthermore the other hypotheses can still be attached. Adding new meaning to old rhymes and music still happens. How many people now know that CPR can be performed well to the BeeGees song Stayin' Alive? Fascinating stuff.
Thank you for watching and for sharing your insights! I think it's a great point about the constellations quite possibly coming before the religious holidays. Glad you enjoyed :)
I learned about the connection between CPR & "Staying Alive" many years ago.
The church holidays were planted on the days when "Common folks", non city dwellers, soon known as "Heathens".
This was to aid in conversion. Feb 2 was Bealtane before it was Candlemas, which had nothing to do with farming or seasonal changes. Then, as today, city people are fairly divorced from the land. These days, one can scarcely see the sky, and people don't think of where their food comes from. Propaganda does all the work for them.😢
@@ruthanneseven I believe Beltane is in May? I will have to revisit that. Of course I know Candlemas is the church title for that date.
@@jenniferwintz2514
Ðamn my vintage memory! You are correct. May Day! It has a couple of spellings, and I screwed that up too,lol!
Mea culpa. 😃
This was excellent. I love how so many nursery rhymes and fairy stories have such ambiguous and sometimes ancient origins. And even when we can reasonably guess, it's is still fascinating how these events get turned into a allegorical tale that is difficult to relate to the original Ingredients that made it.
Of course! As soon as you said Farming I recognized the Zodiac! How slow I've been! And of course the possible refs to Henry's court just makes it richer. The more narratives it can support, the deeper, right? And I've always suspected that "I had a little nutmeg" also fits Henry.
yeah, people in modern times often forget that OUR ideas of constellations are very different than the way people did it years back.
The celestial explanation makes a lot of sense. There are so many songs/little poems which are meant to help one remember things.Diddle could also have to do with delaying, tarrying and could be a warning not to tarry and keep an eye on the sky in order to secure next year's crop=food.
This video was beautifully done & certainly creates more questions than answers. In the past, an attractive female was called a "dish" and having illicit sex was called " fiddling" around.
The phrase Diddle Diddle was also used in Lavender Green, Lavender Blue also known as Kind Country Lovers. It refers to copulation. The last verse of Diddle Diddle also uses the phrase "the dog". It's a euphemism for a man penis.
I will be kind until I die
Then prithee love my dog and I
For thee and I now are all one
And we will lie no more alone.
I learned the song as a child as "Lavender's Blue, Dilly Dilly". I never knew the origins until I got a CD by The City Waites titled Bawdy Ballads of Old England. I now sing different words to that children's song, but only in private.
That's right! I taught voice lessons for a while. That song is what I chose to teach the sisters, and being someone who's always researching, I looked this up. I was a little surprised at the true meaning and words, definitely not a song for kids! I still taught them but I used the revised version.
Diddling is still slang for masturbation, while fiddling about is slang for petting (or molestation, listen to the Who's song Uncle Ernie).
I think all of these could be part of its origin, or different allegorical meanings could have been projected onto it at different times. Double entendre and multiple meanings was a proud tradition of English literature during this time period, and having different connotations could explain the poem's staying power.
I couldn’t have discovered this channel at a more serendipitous time. My tween daughter and I were just talking about how grim nursery rhymes were, if you stopped to think about it.
The “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary” rhyme auto played, and here I am!! I can’t wait to show her this fantastic channel. It’s a fun and educational (and sometimes a bit dark) way to get her into history and for us to spend more time together.
Thank you for this lovely channel and all of the hard work put into it!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled that you found my channel, and it warms my heart to hear that you and your daughter are planning to watch the videos together. Learning history as a bonding experience sounds like a fantastic idea, and I hope you both enjoy! 😊🖤
My mother told me the Pied Piper was some kind of child molester and murderer. Mind you she told me this when I was about 5 years old.
Wow, that was fascinating. Right I'm off to trawl more of your videos. m x
Thank you for your hard work in researching these facts as a Darkling i very much appreciate it, I love history and am fascinated by how these nursery rhymes are so connected, before I go i have to say please do not be put off by spiteful comments by one person!! As i said i am a Darkling and proud of it , keep up the good work , sending you warm blessings 😊
Thank you Darkling, glad you enjoyed 😊🖤 Very kind of you to take the time to comment: I appreciate it so much!
🖖
A darkling? Is that like a Darkie?
I really appreciate your divergent thinking. Any of these explanations would satisfy most people considering the origins; to have so many shows deep thinking!
The first "star chart" hypothesis dovetails perfectly! Makes sense to me!
I’ve got to say, this was absolutely excellent in every aspect. Thank you for putting this together and doing such a lovely job!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed it 😊🖤
The first explanation makes the most sense. The zodiac sign theory rings true to me. Farmers used many ways to help them plant their crops. Take for example the Farmers’s Almanac. If farmers’ crops failed people starved. While I appreciate entertainment & pub games, I would better appreciate a farmer’s successful crop more.
I never expected so many layers of possibilities, so much to think about. Thank you so much for this high quality work. I will have to give it the proper respect it deserves by re-watching it in the morning when I'm sharp. ☺💐
Thank you so much! 😊🖤
Beautifully written and researched, in such contrast to the inane narrative constantly churned out by so many vloggers. A rare treat, thank you .
Wow thank you so much!
It's the first time I'm leaving a comment on any video but your research into this wonderful nursery rhyme is fascinating. Have so often wondered at the origin. All the possibilities you put forward are intriguing and enlightening. Thank you 😊
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed 😊🖤
I really enjoy these different theories. I feel like the crop/star chart makes the most logical sense.
my goodness, your voice is incredibly relaxing. i could fall asleep listening to you, lulled to sleep peacefully rather than the turbulence i usually feel before falling asleep due to sleep anxiety
Thank you for such a lovely compliment, I'm so glad my voice can soothe you 🖤
Very interesting. Always enjoy these “back stories” when I see them. Something different and the research and the script are always fascinating. Stuff I never thought of even though I grew up hearing many of these rhythms. Thank you for sharing this wonderful bit of history!
You're so welcome! Thank YOU for watching and taking the time to leave a lovely comment, it really does mean the world to me 😊🖤
Same here. It gives a new perspective to beloved childhood nursery rhymes.
Why strangle history? Henry chose to claim God's wrath about his doing his duty with his brother's widow (see the Old Testament) was the reason his children did not survive. Catherine was getting old, and he wanted an heir from Anne Boylen. Without that lust, Henry had no compelling reason to start a Church of England rather than waiting out the pope who had granted them disposition to wed in the first place. With that pope dead, the next one would have realized the political advantage in annulling the dispensation. Presto! Queen Anne.
I like the Henry VIII theory. That kind of rhyming lyric to both describe and make fun of public scandal was very common in that era. It was a kind of way of speaking in code. The code of puns and double entendre adding to the humor and mockery.
Finally, it is open knowledge that women are not responsible for the male producing chromosomes. It is worth noting that excessive copulation can cut the odds of producing male offspring. Henry isn't known for controlling his appetite for anything that gave him pleasure.
I love the agricultural astronomy explanation! I'd so love that to be true...
I like J.R.R. Tolkien's take on this rhyme, where he expands the tale and gives the whole setup for what was happening when the action in what was the last verse [the one we know] occurred. Also, the resemblance between the lines of this rhyme and others may well not be at all "coincidental". Musicians are always getting ideas and "riffs", from each other, and the "cat and the fiddle" thing could have easily just been made up from phrases and musical parts that were commonly floating around among fiddle-players, and lutenists (or whatever), and pub singers, just jamming (as it were). It's the same with people playing blues today, and the way lyrics and melodic ideas are constantly being recycled and re-arranged within the style.
Came to comments to see if anyone else might be thinking of an inn, a merry old inn, beneath an old grey hill 😄
Catharsis,Fidelity a reminder of an ancient spirituality.
@@angelagunn7986I hear they brew a beer so brown that the man in the moon himself came down one night to drink his fill
Certainly, the incredible longevity and persistence of this rhyme indicates that there was great importance attached to it. Perhaps the clever little peasant ditty was given new meaning by the “diddling” going on in Elizabeth’s court, and grew its popularity enormously as it gained notoriety!
I like the idea of the first explanation. Basically, break time is over, it's now time to plant. I do love the history lessons of Royal family's and all that they got up to. It seems that being a commoner was easier to navigate love and life, although basic, than it was to navigate a royal position.
Yes it seems if you want to survive in Tudor England being a commoner is the best option! Thank you so much for taking the time to watch the video and leave a comment 😊🖤
Just want to mention the soft narration you provide in investigating these childrens preschool nursery rhymes is like adult preschool rhymes. The dark salacious tales behind such lighthearted fair, the way you call us Darklings...I want a cookie, some apple juice and to be enthralled with what you say exposing the seedy underside of Mother Goose. Then perhaps a nap......no. maybe not. Some of these tales are so gruesome I fear nightmares. But I do enjoy these videos just as well, nightmares notwithstanding.
I hope there is many more rhymes and songs to dissect! ❤❤🖤🖤❤️❤️
This is soooo intriguing. My little nephew had to start memorizing this poem for his kindergarten class at school. He learned it fairly quick.. But my sister and I were just shaking our heads because that poem made absolutely NO SENSE at all. LOL. I can't wait to tell her. Thank you for this video. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you for the kind words! You're very welcome :)
When I learned that nursery rhyme it was said differently about the dog. In your version, "The little dog laughed to see such a sport" - And what I learned was, "The little dog laughed to see such a sight, and the dish ran away with the spoon". Interesting video, thanks for sharing!
We had, the little dog laughed to see such ‘fun.” It’s interesting that is the only word that changed, but it changed for us both differently.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed :) I grew up with the 'fun' line. In the early printed versions, 'sport' was predominantly used, while variations like 'fun' emerged later, which is why I delved into it in this video. What's fascinating is that these variations seem to have regional roots, hinting at a rich tradition of oral storytelling before they were ever documented. In Australian versions, you often come across 'sight' or 'craft,' while 'fun' and 'sport' tend to prevail in versions from the United Kingdom and the United States. It adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story, doesn't it?
I was taught "to see such a Sight"
I remember "sport"
I learned the “sport” version
Very well put together. One slight difference to the version of the rhyme I knew was in the line "The little dog laughed to see such FUN . I've never heard the word 'Sport" used.
Same . "Sport" suggesting mockery is the word I'm accustomed to seeing .
FUN rhymes much better with Moon and Spoon. SPORT does not really fit into the poem
@@joegibson3916 I'm an American ( New Yorker ). Something probably got lost in my version of the yankee translation .
With the word "sport" is the only way I've ever known it . Still laughable nonsense with either word .
@@v.dargain1678 I am in Ireland, we are separated by a common language. Lol
I'm 70 and all I ever heard was sport.
Always been into this stuff since I first heard the reality behind the nursery rhyme “ashes , ashes, they all fall down. You have a great voice for creepy videos. Very well researched information! Great work on this channel. Keep up the good work!!!
Peace and love
Thank you for your kind words! Glad you enjoyed it! 😊🖤
Your "ashes, ashes" version is interesting. I'm British and older, in the books I have seen, that line is always written as "atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down". When reading it aloud to children the words would be sounded as though mimicking a sneeze. The explanation I learned was that this related to the effect of the Black Death plagues that devastated Europe in the Middle Ages. It is always interesting to hear different variations of the same rhyme, subtle changes can completely alter the meaning of the line.
@@picturestoreage504 Yes me too atishoo is the reason for the rhyme, I’m not sure how ashes applies, maybe a different rhyme to the one we know.
@picturestoreage504 I was always told this too!
As a chlid, I learned the word in that rhyme as "achoo, achoo" and we would mimic sneezes
Fascinating 💯. You really are a treat. Many thanks for sharing this video. So much research must have been done here! You know, it could just be down to a catchy rhyme and nothing more but, I would love to think that it was a safe play on words to provide those loyal to Catherine a code . A dear lady in history no doubt. Thanks again for another wonderful video Cheers Colin.
Thank you so much for watching and for recognising the hard work I put into my videos! Glad you enjoyed it 😊🖤
I often wonder about the the origins of nursery rhymes over the ages. This is a fascinating insight into the Cat and the Fiddle.
My thoughts have been that is was the agricultural one being the most fitting but now you've thrown in the others, I'm not so sure. Eagerly awaiting you uncovering more.
Thank you. Very intriguing. 👍👍👍 from 🇦🇺
'The cat and fiddle' and ''the cat and wheel' are both old names for the 'hurdy-gurdy' musical instrument. So that accounts for some of the imagery. Interestingly, they are both also old names for pubs. Whilst there are many pubs stil called "The Cat and Fiddle', 'The Cat and Wheel' is more rare. There is an example on Cheltenham Road in Bristol. The 'wheel' reference comes from the part of the musical instrument that rubs against the strings to produce the sound.
Wow, very enlightening. I'd agree that it's referencing a starchart for when to plant crops is the correct unvailing.
Glad you enjoyed! 🖤☺️
Each explanation was wonderful so it's hard to even begin deciding. What a wonderful video! Intriguing!
Thank you 🖤
Thank you for this. Fantastic 💖🙏🏻💖
You are so welcome! Thank YOU for watching and taking the time to comment 😊🖤
To the seasonal idea, the word "dibble", a gardening tool, may have a role in an original: "Hey, dibble dibble!" (Get busy. It's the month of Maying!)
The switch to "diddle" in later parodies cannot be ruled out.
Good sleuthing, writing and delivery.
That's a great point, I like it! Thank you for sharing your insight and for the kind words 😊🖤
Ten out of ten for this one. It may only be my opinion but I reckon you have a beaut voice for audio books, so relaxing to listen to.
Thank you for your kind words! Glad you enjoyed the video 😊🖤
I've always had a fascination with this rhyme. I didn't know any of its possible connections. Very interesting discussion.
Thank you! 🖤☺️
Don't forget that violin strings are called "cat gut": It is interesting that the cat and the fiddle are associated together in the rhyme. It is also interesting that cows 'say' "moo" (Which is very similar to moon). A favorite name for dogs is 'spot' (which is very similar to "Sport). Also, when dogs exert themselves, the sound they make when panting has been described as a 'laugh'. Finally, an attractive or beautiful woman is sometimes called a 'dish' [From the internet: "Shakespeare may have been the first to use “dish” in this figurative way, in reference to sexy Cleopatra: “He will to his Egyptian dish againe.” "] To Spoon (i.e. Spooning) means to behave in an amorous way; to kiss and cuddle; ... so kissing and cuddling with an attractive woman would be 'spooning with a dish' (and why not run away with her? - perhaps to evade Queen Elizabeth?). [It is also interesting that the first use of dish to describe a woman comes from the Elizabethan times by way of The Bard].
Thank You!
@@annajo9536 You are welcome!
Seriously Underrated Post!
@@Elhastezy888 Indeed!
Two cats watching a game of tennis, one says to the other, "I've got a cousin tied up in this racket."
Your videos are, for me, the best of the best--thank you! I have always looked into the origin and meaning of phrases or terms we still speak or sing now. Since the Royal Family has forever held the attention and fascination of its subjects, I believe Queen Elizabeth I and the tragic love she snuffed in the Tower is the most probable origin of the Cat & Fiddle rhyme.
Thank you so much for the kind words, what a lovely comment! I'm so happy you enjoyed the video! 😊🖤
Excellent! Well researched, well spoken. I'm glad I found this channel!
Thank you so much! 😊🖤
I really enjoy watching your videos 😊I'm a nursery practitioner and love telling my team about the history of the rhymes we sing .
Thank you so much! 🖤☺️
I would love for the rhyme to be based on the ancient Egyptian Deities-Bast,the Cat Goddess, Hathor,the Cow Goddess, Khonsu,the Moon God and Anubis/Anpu,the Dog/Jackal God! However,I expect the knowing when to plough and sow was most likely, although Egypt was an agricultural society early on,so,perhaps,both the Deities and the constellations were the same things????Many myths are about the constellations and their movements after all.🇬🇧♥️♥️♥️🐊🐊🐊
Love the history lesson! Very detailed and informative, please continue your research and share! Thank you!!!
Thank you so much! :)
Thank you so very much for all derivations of most all of these rhymes.
You're very welcome! Thank you for watching and commenting :) 🖤
I'm interested in the number of pubs in England called Cat and Fiddle. Little ditties and such were made up by travelling minstrels, to carry news and tales of celebrities....the social media of the day. I'm going with one of the court intrigues turned into a rhyme by a minstrel and carried around the country.
What an interesting presentation! I think the first scenario holds the most weight. Our ancestors looked to the sky for information & timing of so many things.
Fascinating. These theories are compelling and intriguing to say the least! You have a new subbie!
Thank you so much for your kind words and subscription! Welcome 😊🖤
I don't know about all those theories but I love the illustrations. It's such a jolly rhyme that I struggle to associate it with the mundanities of agriculture and the plight of Katherine of Aragon. I like the different interpretations given to the intrigue in the court of Elizabeth I. I can imagine the rhyme's origin going back that far. Great production
Your channel showed up in my feed and I was curious about the rhyme meaning so I watched. You have a new subscriber. The research and your voice over are excellent.
Thank you so much for your kind words and subscription! I really appreciate the support 😊🖤
This is my number one favorite nursery rhyme. I am so happy for this video. Thank you so much. ❤❤❤
Any hypothesis would work for this nursery rhyme. Some of my distant relatives (from me anyway) were farmers and I know that they planted their crops according to the moon phases and this knowledge was passed down. Whilst I do not yet know, my mother does and always follows the moon phases when planting her vegetable garden.
I must say, am delighted to have found this site, and have watched a few of the host’s interpretations of time honoured nursery rhymes. I’ve always been intrigued by them, and the suggestion that more lay beneath the surface. So thanks and I’ll keep watching!
Thank you! I'm so happy you're enjoying my channel :) 🖤
WOW! I always just thought that maybe some shrooms got mixed in with the mead you know..
But you've done some terrific scholarly research here, and I think it's all superb! :)
Thank you so much 😊🖤
I am fascinated by your deeply researched topics and can't wait for your newest journey into our past. Please keep up the hard work.
Thank you so much 🖤☺️
All very intriguing just like England's folklore and myth .
Could even be a mash up of all the quoted possibilities ??
I came across one of these videos by accident and 5 more later I've 3 thoughts. First, the stories and history are fascinating thus far. Next, the format, timing and illustrations are top shelf. Finally, I have no idea what the narrator looks like, but her voice is incredibly captivating, I could, quite literally listen to her talk for days. One can only dream of what music her laughter would sound like.
I believe myself that so many women lost children at that time in history, from drinking wine out of pewter vessels.
Well done. All of your videos are very entertaining and well made. Looking forward to seeing more.
Thank you! I'm so happy you enjoy my videos! Thank you for taking the time to comment 😊🖤
Thanks from a first time viewer and new subscriber! My daughter used to get stuck on the first line, "Hey diddle, diddle, diddle, diddle...", she was so cute before turning into a sass-mouthed teenager!
Fascinating. I'd heard that the game/song "Ring Around The Rosie" was about the plague, but haven't researched to confirm that. It's interesting that "nursery rhymes" that sound so innocent can have such dark beginnings. I think of the Grimm Fairy Tales, and wonder if children were simply raised with the scary stories, or if they didn't get the darker meaning - it was just a story or rhyme, not fact? 400 years later, and we've sanitized the scary parts of nursery rhymes (read:Disney). Come to think of it, in the Southeast USA, in the 1970s, I learned a hand clap game that started, "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should..." (which was their advertising slogan). Pretty sure they don't want kids saying that anymore, either.
From what I remember reading years ago about "ring around the Rosie:"
It was based on identifying small pox. The "ring" was an outside circle around a flower shaped sores resembling a rosette or posies.
"Pocket full of posies" was either clumps of these sores resembling a bouquet of posies or the actual flower was believed to "prevent" one from coming down with it.
"Ashes, ashes" refers to the need to burn everything (dead bodies and their possessions) to prevent spreading it.
"We all fall down" is the person dying.
As stated in the vid, often rhythms of whimsical are often used to remember or describe thing. I heard that originally, "12 days of Christmas " is said as a way to remember the Christian rosary beads which Christianity was outlawed.
Ring around a Rosie is about the plague.
Ring Around a Rosie is not at all about the plague. It's just a childrens' nonsense rhyme. There are multiple versions of it, butvthecone recited here in the US, dates to the 1800"s and is only found here in the US. Zero connection to any allusions to the plague. I was kind of bummed to discover this, but it’s entirely true.
I thought the 'pocket full of posies' was to help cover the smell of death
@@rebeccaheim8278
“Posies,” or bouquets of flowers, are almost universal in the song. However, many versions do not make them portable (i.e., a pocket full) but install them in in pots or bottles, which doesn’t fit well with a plague interpretation.
I was convinced by each scenario as it unfolded.
I think however, that I may have simply been captivated by your beguiling voice...
Thank you, that's very kind :) Glad you enjoyed!
PS I forgot the bit about the CAT JUMPED OVER THE MOON: A woman who is insensitive to the needs of others is often called a "cow" & saying she jumped over the Moon is not only a hint ot the cow's joy, but also suggest shades of her venturing far higher than the rank she was entitled to.
Personally, I've often wondered if the cow might symbolize an expectant mother, given its connection to milk. The Tudor era was filled with superstitions, as I mention in this video about the lying-in period. They believed that pregnant mothers shouldn't look at bright lights or the sun during the late stages of pregnancy, fearing harm to the baby. Similarly, they had superstitions about a pregnant woman looking at a full moon, thinking it could lead to birth complications or even make the baby "insane". So I wonder if the full moon and the fact Queen Catherine had so many failed births might be a connection - just my own musings!
@@The-Resurrectionistsnow you’ve got it. Anne was a potenial mother who “jumped over” skipped the moon ie menes. Days between marriage and birth of Elizabeth 225, typical pregnancy 280 days - 55 day of Henry “being over the moon”.
Hey diddle diddle (spilled seed via mastrabation or being wiith a whore)
So you have cat and fiddle
Catherine and the unfaithful fiddler
Cow jumped over the moon
The milk filled one skipped her period
The little dog laughed to see such sport
Cromwell was joyful gain power as Anne and Henry were sexually playing
Dish ran away with the spoon
Dish been what men feast on and the spoon Henry’s large appetite for not just food but woman and both ran away from the Catholic church
Sounds heart felt, poignant & pathological. Tte Astronomy to the nursery rhyme was Wonderful. 😃✨
Love it. You could do one on 'Frog went a Courting', for similar possibly Tudor royal gossip related themes?
Thank you, great idea! 😊🖤
The first and the last explanations make the most sense to me. They actually fit well together too.
In nursery realms where verses play,
"Hey Diddle Diddle," a rhyme holds sway.
Beneath the moon's soft, silver light,
A tale unfolds, mysteries in flight.
The Cat and Fiddle, a whimsical pair,
Dancing in the cosmic air.
But hidden deep, a secret code,
In the verses, a mystery bestowed.
Curious minds, prepare to see,
The layers of meaning, a mystery key.
Characters masked in riddles and rhyme,
A journey deep into childhood's time.
The dish, the spoon, the cow that leaps,
In the nursery's dream, their secret keeps.
Cryptic phrases, in plain daylight,
Unveil the code, hidden from sight.
Oh, Hey Diddle Diddle, the cosmic dance,
A hidden tale of chance and chance.
Symbols twirl in the fiddler's tune,
Revealing secrets 'neath the moon.
Folklore enthusiasts, gather near,
For the veil of ignorance, we shall clear.
Hey Diddle Diddle, a coded song,
In the nursery, where dreams belong.
Mysterious characters, their roles defined,
In the cryptic verses, secrets bind.
A must-watch for those who seek,
The hidden depths, the nursery's peak.
Transform your perception, open your mind,
To the secrets within, seek and find.
Hey Diddle Diddle, a mystery revealed,
In nursery rhymes, truths concealed.
This is wonderful! 🖤🖤🖤
How nice to know Poetic Sages still exists. ❤❤
Beautifully done. My curiousity is piqued and I eagerly await another video. Bravo.
Thank you! 🖤☺️
When I was a small child my family had among Christmas decorations a set of figural lights in the form of nursery rhymes. On of my very early memories is of crawling under the tree and gazing at figural light bulb hanging near the bottom in the shape of a big bass fiddle with a cat on the side.
My sister said they were from Germany.
Thank you so much for all your awesome videos! It's so fascinating to hear you decode the nursery rhymes of my childhood! My mind leans toward the farming explanation for this nursery rhyme because it would apply to the largest majority of people. Again, I can't say how much I love your videos! It was so fascinating to hear you say that this nursery rhyme may be over a thousand years old! That's so powerful and heavy for so many reasons !!!
You said canis minor, but the constellation you showed was canis major. Canis minor is much less spectacular, with only two bright stars, procyon and gomeisa. Interesting though. The Japanese constellation of subaru runs along a similar theme. The seven sisters or Pleiades are known as Suburu in Japanese (the seeds). When they are high in the sky an hour after dusk, it's time for planting. If you look at the Subaru automobile badge, it shows the seven sisters.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, that's very interesting and certainly could make the theory plausible! Also apologies for showing the incorrect constellation image 😅
Your channel is absolutely brilliant! I'm instantly hooked and blown away by your presentation and meaningful historical content. Thank you!
I don't know about "la fidèle" but Queen Catherine, coming from the Crown of Aragon and being the king's daughter, was in fact a Catalan. That was her primary native language, though she must have been native as well in Castilian (i.e. Spanish). Interestingly, "the faithful" in Catalan is "la fidel". It would make more sense for her and people close to her to have used these words in Catalan than French, though they sound very similar. Therefore, it is possible that other people around her, unfamiliar with Catalan, might have not known better than interpret or transliterate such words into French.
Thank you for sharing your insights; your observation makes perfect sense! The French nickname intrigued me as well. It's quite plausible, like you said, that the original nickname was in Castilian and was later misheard and recorded as French. Spelling wasn't standardized then, and words were often written as they sounded. Queen Catherine was also fluent in French even before her arrival in England, so perhaps that played some part? Your interest in the topic is greatly appreciated, thanks again for watching! 😊
Very interesting, thank you, it rings true.
@@The-Resurrectionists , in today's Spanish (i.e. Castilian), her nickname would have been "la fiel". Unless the word evolved since the 16th century and used to be different, this would rule out Spanish. She was surely fluent in Castilian/Spanish, being the daughter of queen Isabella of Castile, but more importantly, she also was the daughter of a king, in the Crown of Aragon.
In the Crown of Aragon, which included Catalonia, kings were Catalans and spoke Catalan since the 9th century, primarily being the counts of Barcelona. Catherine corresponded in Catalan with various people, like Isabel de Requesens, vicereine of Naples*, Beatrice of Aragon, queen of Hungary and of Bohemia, and Lluís Vives, a major humanist that was her friend and commented about both being from the same nation, referring to Catalonia (i.e. not just the Principality of Catalonia, but the whole nation of Catalan speakers, which extended to the kingdoms of Valencia, Majorca, eastern Aragon, etc).
In Catalan, "fidel" sounds a bit closer to fiddle than "fidèle", with longer e and l in French, at least today. But who knows? The feline fiddler might be unrelated to her, but my bet is that "la fidèle" was born as Catalan expression "la fidel", because it seems to make more sense. The expression likely came from her closest entourage.
Thank you for your interesting videos!
*The kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, Sardinia and more, were all part of the Crown of Aragon. King Alonso, in The Tempest, was likely inspired by king Alfonso II, a cousin of Catherine's father, king Ferdinand.
Fascinating! I always thought there was something more to these ole stories....
I'm into codes and hidden truths , I think it means something cryptic, and did not know about the pubs called cat n fiddle . Make's sense about the Queens but there is so many double or triple meanings of the words combined. thanks for the deeper look.
Thanks. This was great.
Glad you enjoyed it! 😊🖤
I really enjoy all of your videos! This one has to be in the top 10. If not number one or two of my favorites !!!
I want to know about Miss Mary Mack. That one creeps me out slightly…
If you are as half as beautiful as your voice you must be a world stopper . I say this with total respect . Cheers from Australia kindest Regards Dan 🤝
Thank you, that's very sweet! :)
My grandparents in the 1960’s had a few books that I always read when I was at their house. One was a book of nursery rhymes. Even as I grew up, I enjoyed Hey Diddle Diddle. I loved to imagine all the reasons that the cow jumped over the moon
that was very interesting. the first one sounds the right one. I do remember learning about these rhymes when I was a child in rural England. almost all have a meaning relating to weather and seasons.
Nah, "Hey Diddle Diddle" is literature's pioneer work of science fiction. It's about a musically talented genetically enhanced feline, a bovine astronaut and two escaped robotic kitchen utensils.
I'd read that...
Perhaps it was the English court making fun of Ann Boleyn winning The crown by understanding what really turned Henry VIII on.
Hey, diddle diddle
(Golden showers)
Whipping and music
(The cat (😢-o-nine) and the fiddle)
Delighted the fat king
(The cow jumped over the moon)
Cromwell
(The little dog) laughed to see such sport as
Ann (the dish) stole the kingdom from Catherine
(Ran away with the (golden) spoon) 😂
😂😂😂
Yeah, sounds like some early F. Paul Wilson short stories....
A beautiful presentation in a lovely voice. The Humanities are never dead. Childhood and these children's rhymes live in the Jungian subconscious of half remembered dreams and half-light, mists of the ethereal Gothic.
Thank you so much! 🖤☺️
I'm very surprised not to see a mention of Bolton Abbey in north Yorkshire, there is much evidence to support the areas claim to be the origin of Hey diddle diddle, some evidence still existing today in the form of the little dogs laughing on the sides of the Priory church and the tale of Prior Moone, who may have been "diddled" over the sale of a cow, this may be just a local story, but Prior Moone was very real. I seem to recall the dish and spoon aspect was said to refer to a forbidden romance amongst to whole affair. But the laughing dogs are still there, like little gargoyles.
Thank you for sharing! 🖤☺️
I’m so glad I found this channel. Thank you for these!
We had a supermarket when I was a kid and my father was always going on about cashiers "fiddling the Till ", so I always assumed that the Cat was on the Fiddle , I.E....stealing money
Oh my ...I was a checker for 25 years...my till was always perfect.
@@thegreencat9947 ... 👍👍😊😊..that was a headache I can tell you
@@jiggsborah7041 That job tested every little thing in my soul every day. It was a basically secure position....and I would always have a job under any drastic condition. People always have to eat. War..disease..civil unrest. Paid for my home..retirement...good health care. Pop should have been not so negative. 😎😄
@@thegreencat9947... Yes indeed. We're from a place where crime is rampant and unfortunately my pops was PARANOID 🤣🤣🤣..
It was great though because I got to know many people in my town and a few years ago in 2019 in fact I went back for a visit.
My car fuel pump broke just outside a large warehouse with a big gate. I went up to the gate and an old man came out and stood there and looked at me for a moment and then he said "your father had a shop on the main street in town ".
I was floored. This was back in the seventies.!!! And I'm in my sixties now yet he recognised me.!!!
@@jiggsborah7041 Isn't it remarkable how we can influence people ........and we have no idea ....makes you stop...and reconsider...you thought no one ever saw you..but lo and behold ...you were seen. And people like and remember you. . Even though your Pop didnt.
I love it all! I love your channel!! I wish I could have found this information when I was younger and searching for it!!! So glad I can see it now!!!
Thank you so much! I'm so happy you're enjoying my channel :)
Loved the history lesson. I imagine the first theory is the more accurate. We read patterns into everything according to Carl Jung.
I think the first explanation is very possible. All else speaks more to our penchant for intrigue and conspiracy, to equate the innocent to the salacious.
The first explanation is clean and simple, where as the rest requires a lot more mental gymnastics.
I prefer the first interpretation, a crop planting guide. The others are too convoluted…Thanks for all of them.
You're very welcome :)
Loved the Tudor reference
You go girl!
Thank you! 😊🖤