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