Knowledge

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Source 📝

42: 97: 262:, and pretty maids are nuns, but even within this strand of thought there are differences of opinion as to whether it is lament for the reinstatement of Catholicism or its persecution. Another theory sees the rhyme as connected to Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587), with "how does your garden grow" referring to her reign over her realm, "silver bells" referring to ( 269:
Mary has also been identified with Mary I of England ("Bloody Mary"; 1516–1558), with "How does your garden grow?" said to refer to her lack of heirs, or to the common idea that England had become a Catholic vassal or "branch" of Spain and the
266:) cathedral bells, "cockle shells" insinuating that her husband was not faithful to her, and "pretty maids all in a row" referring to her ladies-in-waiting – "The four Maries". 449: 444: 17: 278:. "Quite contrary" is said to be a reference to her unsuccessful attempt to reverse ecclesiastical changes effected by her father 238:, it has acquired various historical explanations. One theory is that it is a religious allegory of Catholicism, with Mary being 96: 41: 84:. The rhyme has been seen as having religious and historical significance, but its origins and meaning are disputed. It has a 439: 394: 350: 129: 247: 429: 454: 434: 342: 156: 100: 47: 255: 386: 379: 239: 228: 85: 8: 424: 330: 400: 390: 356: 346: 271: 224: 151: 275: 117: 78: 251: 223:
No proof has been found that the rhyme was known before the 18th century, while
291: 418: 360: 295: 235: 203: 81: 55: 404: 287: 279: 243: 286:. The "pretty maids all in a row" is speculated to be a reference to 283: 274:. It is also said to be a punning reference to her chief minister, 263: 187: 338: 329: 191: 175:
Several printed versions of the 18th century have the lyrics:
259: 231:(Mary Stuart), were contemporaries in the 16th century. 381:
Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme
246:, the cockleshells the badges of the pilgrims to the 378: 416: 199:The last line has the most variation including: 127:The oldest known version was first published in 133:(1744) with the lyrics that are shown here: 325: 323: 321: 319: 317: 315: 313: 311: 294:, or alternately to her executions of the 40: 372: 370: 95: 450:Songs about fictional female characters 376: 335:The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes 308: 14: 417: 367: 184:With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells, 142:With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells, 168:With Silver Bells and Cockles Shells 107:The most common modern version is: 24: 25: 466: 333:; Opie, Iona Archibald (1997) . 122:And pretty maids all in a row. 180:Mistress Mary, Quite contrary, 164:Mistress Mary, Quite Contrary, 138:Mistress Mary, Quite contrary, 130:Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book 103:'s rendition of the poem, 1901 13: 1: 301: 214:With lady bells all in a row. 65: 445:Traditional children's songs 170:And Marigolds all in a row. 112:Mary, Mary, quite contrary, 75:"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" 35:"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" 7: 385:. London: Granta. pp.  149:There is also a version in 10: 471: 218: 182:How does your garden grow? 166:How does your garden grow? 140:How does your garden grow? 114:How does your garden grow? 242:, bells representing the 240:Mary, the mother of Jesus 91: 61: 54: 39: 34: 440:English children's songs 144:And so my garden grows. 18:Mary Mary Quite Contrary 377:Roberts, Chris (2004). 343:Oxford University Press 157:Frances Hodgson Burnett 116:With silver bells, and 101:William Wallace Denslow 48:William Wallace Denslow 430:English nursery rhymes 256:Santiago de Compostela 216: 208: 197: 173: 147: 125: 104: 212: 201: 177: 161: 135: 109: 99: 27:English nursery rhyme 229:Mary, Queen of Scots 86:Roud Folk Song Index 290:, her execution of 159:with these lyrics: 455:Songs about plants 435:English folk songs 105: 227:(Mary Tudor) and 225:Mary I of England 152:The Secret Garden 88:number of 19626. 72: 71: 16:(Redirected from 462: 409: 408: 384: 374: 365: 364: 327: 282:and her brother 276:Stephen Gardiner 194:) all in a row. 67: 46:Illustration by 44: 32: 31: 21: 470: 469: 465: 464: 463: 461: 460: 459: 415: 414: 413: 412: 397: 375: 368: 353: 345:. p. 301. 328: 309: 304: 221: 196: 185: 183: 181: 172: 169: 167: 165: 146: 143: 141: 139: 124: 121: 115: 113: 94: 50: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 468: 458: 457: 452: 447: 442: 437: 432: 427: 411: 410: 396:978-1592401307 395: 366: 351: 306: 305: 303: 300: 292:Lady Jane Grey 236:nursery rhymes 220: 217: 206:all in a row . 178: 162: 136: 110: 93: 90: 70: 69: 63: 59: 58: 52: 51: 45: 37: 36: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 467: 456: 453: 451: 448: 446: 443: 441: 438: 436: 433: 431: 428: 426: 423: 422: 420: 406: 402: 398: 392: 388: 383: 382: 373: 371: 362: 358: 354: 352:0-19-860088-7 348: 344: 340: 336: 332: 326: 324: 322: 320: 318: 316: 314: 312: 307: 299: 297: 293: 289: 285: 281: 277: 273: 267: 265: 261: 257: 253: 249: 245: 244:sanctus bells 241: 237: 232: 230: 226: 215: 211: 207: 205: 200: 195: 193: 189: 176: 171: 160: 158: 154: 153: 145: 134: 132: 131: 123: 119: 108: 102: 98: 89: 87: 83: 82:nursery rhyme 80: 76: 64: 60: 57: 56:Nursery rhyme 53: 49: 43: 38: 33: 30: 19: 380: 334: 288:miscarriages 268: 233: 222: 213: 209: 202: 198: 179: 174: 163: 150: 148: 137: 128: 126: 111: 106: 74: 73: 29: 331:Opie, Peter 296:Protestants 252:Saint James 155:written by 425:1744 songs 419:Categories 302:References 280:Henry VIII 234:Like many 361:229161681 284:Edward VI 272:Habsburgs 62:Published 405:56646713 264:Catholic 204:Cowslips 188:cuckolds 219:Meaning 192:cuckoos 120:shells, 79:English 403:  393:  359:  349:  339:Oxford 248:shrine 118:cockle 92:Lyrics 77:is an 387:33–34 260:Spain 186:Sing 401:OCLC 391:ISBN 357:OCLC 347:ISBN 210:and 68:1744 254:in 250:of 421:: 399:. 389:. 369:^ 355:. 341:: 337:. 310:^ 298:. 258:, 66:c. 407:. 363:. 190:( 20:)

Index

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

William Wallace Denslow
Nursery rhyme
English
nursery rhyme
Roud Folk Song Index

William Wallace Denslow
cockle
Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book
The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett
cuckolds
cuckoos
Cowslips
Mary I of England
Mary, Queen of Scots
nursery rhymes
Mary, the mother of Jesus
sanctus bells
shrine
Saint James
Santiago de Compostela
Spain
Catholic
Habsburgs
Stephen Gardiner
Henry VIII
Edward VI

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.