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Casting their spell over centuries, nursery rhymes<\/a> have played a major role in the early development of generations of children. They help to introduce us to language, they support reading skills, in many cases they give children their first taste of music.<\/strong> <\/p> This isn’t the whole story, however. The truth is that, behind their light and fluffy exterior, many nursery rhymes recount dark and disturbing tales of death, disease, violence and religious persecution. Here is our guide to some of the darkest nursery rhymes of all time. <\/p> What is that \u2018chopper to chop off your head\u2019 all about? Some say it\u2019s Henry VIII<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s marital issues, and the way he went about solving them. However, it seems that those last three lines of the rhyme ‘oranges and lemons<\/a><\/strong>‘ weren\u2019t originally in the nursery rhyme, so it\u2019s more likely that they\u2019re referring to events at Newgate Prison, which once stood on the current site of the Old Bailey, next to St Sepulchre\u2019s Church (hence \u2018the bells of Old Bailey\u2019 in the rhyme).<\/p> Prisoners here would receive a visit, the night before their hangings, by the bell man of St Sepulchre\u2019s. This doom-bearing figure would hold a candle in one hand and ring the execution bell in the other. He would then recite a poem: <\/p> \u2018All you that in the hole do lie,<\/p> Prepare you for tomorrow you shall die,<\/p> Examine all yourselves, in time repent, <\/p> That you may not to eternal flames be sent,<\/p> And when St Sepulchre\u2019s bell in the morning tolls,<\/p> The lord above have mercy on your souls.\u2019<\/p>Darkest nursery rhymes of all time<\/h2>
Oranges and Lemons<\/b><\/h3>
Ring around the Rosie<\/b><\/h3>