Tales and Nursery Rhymes

Children's rhymes and fairy tales serve as a fun and interesting way to teach children moral lessons At least, that's the modern interpretation of what nursery rhymes and fairy tales are meant for. The history of nursery rhymes and fairy tales is a lot darker than their modern use suggests. They are filled with violence and abuse. These relics of the middle ages and renaissance are filled with references to death, plague, and in some cases, even torture. This paper will take a look at several nursery rhymes and classic fairy tales and evaluate their hidden meaning.

A beloved children's nursery rhyme is the old woman who lived in a shoe. The first image that comes into one's head when this rhyme is mentioned is that of a kind old lady chasing after her myriad of children. But closer analysis of the rhymes reveals something more...
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