Blogpost 4: "Baa Baa Black Sheep: When Cliché Strikes"

Baa Baa Black Sheep

"Baa, baa, black sheep,

Have you any wool?

Yes, sir, yes, sir,

Three bags full;

One for the master,

And one for the dame,

And one for the little boy

Who lives down the lane"

          The black sheep in this nursery rhyme always interested me. I was thinking that the black sheep meant something like "the prodigal son" or the "dark horse" or even an "underdog". It's somewhat similar to a person who does not follow the status quo. I'll give myself as an example. I don't usually follow the trend or what's "in". Well, at least that's my opinion for the  meaning "black sheep".

          After doing some research I found some interesting facts about the the real meaning behind the nursery rhyme "Baa Baa Black Sheep"

Tony Bryne wrote an article entitled  "Meaning of the nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep" in the website www.sunzu.com. In that article he said:

"In the Middle Ages, a hard-working peasant was required to give one third of his income to the King, "my master," and one third to the fat nobility, "my dame," leaving only a final third for himself, "the little boy." Payment was made in sacks of wool. In other words it was a tax. Another point about this is that wool from a black sheep was worth quite a lot less than ordinary wool. The term "black sheep" of the family derives from this too."

Edward II

           That is just so sad. The peasants: farmers, fishermen, merchants, etcetera, work hard to earn money, and they still have to give a part of it to the nobility. So that's why they stay as peasants. 

          Other sources tell me that this particular nursery rhyme is about King Edward. In his time, the best wool in England was produced. I also read other articles staying that before Edward became king, he was also known as the "Black Sheep" or the "Prodigal Son" of their family.

           As I was typing all of these, I suddenly came up with an idea. One of my opinions in this rhymes is about the "xenophobia" and racism of the English folk. I came up with this hypothesis that the black sheep meant the black slavery in the Old English times, when a "black" person would be treated as a slave, and will take orders from his owner "the master" and the masters wife "the dame" and the "little boy" who is actually the child of his owner.

          This nursery rhyme isn't as controversial and gruesome as the first two, however, you should not relax yet. There will still be more nursery rhyme truths that are coming, and I'm sure they will keep you up thinking at night. 

~Ken Ricafort~