... We all fall down This is one nursery rhyme origin we think we already know to be sinister. This nursery rhyme has several different interpretations. Mother Goose is often cited as the author of hundreds of children’s stories that have been passed down through oral tradition and published over centuries. It is thought to refer to either Mary Queen of Scots or Mary I. Mary Queen of Scots is said to have been presented with a dress by her husband, the dauphin of France, that was decorated with silver bells and cockle shells. This rhyme was first published around 1745. Marsebil. The line “pretty maids all in a row” is believed to either refer to the numerous miscarriages that Mary suffered during her lifetime or her beheading of her own half-sister Lady Jane Grey, who reigned as de facto Queen of England and Ireland from 10 July 1553 – 19 July 1553. According to some researchers Mary Mary, also published in 1744, refers to "Bloody Mary," Mary Tudor or Mary Stewart - Mary Queen of Scots. (Courtesy: Mary Mary Quite Contrary) This nursery rhyme is about Bloody Mary. Roger Vadim directed the film, which Gene Roddenberry produced, having dramatized a 1968 novel written by Francis Pollini into the screenplay from which Vadim worked. PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW From the nursery rhyme, Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary. The Mary referred to in this rhyme, is Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Mary Tudor was a strict Catholic and during her reign from 1553-1558 her garden (a graveyard) grew as many protestants were executed for not converting to Catholicism. Here are our sources: “The Origin of Humpty Dumpty” Today I Found Out, Emily Upton, 4/24/2013 “Nursery Rhyme… Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary is a popular nursery rhyme about gardening. Pretty Maids All in a Row is a 1971 American mystery film that is part dark comedy, part murder mystery. Image Source . The lady bell is a bell shaped flower, which is usually blue to purple in color. Mary Mary Quite Contrary . The pretty maids were here handmaidens. This was Roddenberry's only feature film … Origin and background. ... And pretty maids all in a row. But it has nothing at all to do with the Black Death. Queen Mary I was sooooo popular and fun, she actually got a couple of nursery rhymes inspired by her. Nursery Rhyme Mary Mary Quite Contrary with Lyrics and Music. In other versions of ‘Mary Mary Quite Contrary’ the last line is slightly different.Variations include, “Cowslips all in a row” or “With lady bells all in a row.” Lady bells and cowslips are both types of plants. Rock Hudson romantic leading man of the 1950s and 60s Pretty Maids All In A Row 1971 directed by Roger Vadim . With silver bells and cockle shells And pretty maids all in a row. The thing about the seemly innocent nursery rhyme songs is that there is a dark meaning to most of them. . And pretty maids all in a row - The CRUELEST line of all! The first two flower neames may have been flowers, but their meaning in the nursery rhyme may have been a double-entendre. . Here are two different ideas about what it could refer to. And pretty maids all in a row. The “garden” is suggested to refer to a graveyard because, as was conveyed in “Three Blind Mice,” Mary was a big fan of executing people. Mary grows silver bells, cockle shells and pretty maids in her "fantasy garden". Mary was said to have had a lot of stillborn little girls, and "secretly" have them buried... in a long row of graves. Where did we find this stuff? And pretty maids all in a row, And pretty maids all in a row. The first known reference to the rhyme is in 1881, more than 500 years after the plague swept across Europe. The most widespread explanation connects it with queen Mary I (1516-1558), who executed Protestants, filling cemeteries—called the “garden” in the rhyme. This song was released on The Nursery Rhyme Collection 1 Download on iTunes Listen for free on Spotify. And pretty maids all in a row. “And pretty maids all in a row” referred to either her execution of “rows and rows” of protestants or her rows of midwifes who help deliver still-born or miscarried infants. Mary, Mary, quite contrary,How does your garden grow?With silver bells, and cockleshells,And pretty maids all in a row. And pretty maids all in a row. Words & Music: Traditional Arrangement: Ian J Watts/Mike Wilbury . And pretty maids all in a row. Sample: Mary Mary quite contrary, How does your garden grow? This rhyme was first time published in in 1744 in England, so it is very old! And pretty maids all in a row"- Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme The Mary that is portrayed in this nursery rhyme is none other than Mary Tudor, also known in historical infamy as "Bloody Mary". Starring Rock Hudson alongside Angie Dickinson, it was released on April 28, 1971. Henry VIII wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, and petitioned the Catholic Church for a divorce time and time again, which was refused. And pretty maids all in a row . It may indeed be a political reference to either Mary Queen of Scots, or Mary I of England. 10 Sinister Origins of Nursery Rhymes. Mary was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon (the first wife of Henry VIII). Mary was said to have had a lot of stillborn little girls, and "secretly" have them buried... in a long row of graves.