Heavy Words Lightly Thrown

Don't be put off by the subject of British librarian Chris Roberts's first book: the intricate origins of nursery rhymes. Lurking inside this unassuming collection are several brutal, sexual, political and at times disgusting explanations for the origin of English nursery rhymes—several of which weren't written for children at all.

King Henry VIII, and his propensity for hacking off his wives' heads, figures prominently into many a tale (see "Mary Mary Quite Contrary" and "Sing a Song of Sixpence"). But it turns out the rhymes encompass far more than a safe way to express one's misgivings about the government. Roberts discusses how many, like "Jack and Jill" and "Ding Dong Bell," seem to describe cultural norms. Still others, he theorizes, recount historical events, such as "London Bridge Is Burning" or "Ring-a-Ring o'Roses"—a pleasant way to discuss one of the least pleasant epidemics in history, the black plague.

Despite its reliance on English history, Heavy Words is anything but a scholarly work, as Roberts makes sure to note. His sources for these originally oral traditions include film, radio, the Internet, books, hearsay and "straightforward gossip," among others. The book is sprinkled with puns, jokes and cultural references, and the U.S. edition includes a glossary of British popular culture. Although it remains a mystery why Roberts would choose to employ a glossary rather than footnotes for ease of reading.

An erstwhile set of literary anecdotes sure to please the Anglophile, Heavy Words is for the trivia-loving Yank as well. As Roberts reminds us, a few rhymes are suspected to have originated in the States—or at least were designed to poke fun at Americans.—Rachel Shindelman