Dark Origins – Old Mother Hubbard
Posted: November 24, 2021 Filed under: Dark Origins, Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes | Tags: Dark Origins, Nursery Rhymes, Old Mother Hubbard, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Writing to be Read 41 Comments
Old Mother Hubbard is a popular nursery rhyme but the words are not very child friendly. It is rather long so I am only sharing the first three verses here:
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give the poor dog a bone:
When she came there,
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
She went to the baker’s
To buy him some bread;
When she came back
The dog was dead!
She went to the undertaker’s
To buy him a coffin;
When she came back
The dog was laughing.
As with most nursery rhymes, it is not possible to peg down its exact origins but I am going to share with you two quite different proposed origins, one being much darker than the other.
Old Mother Hubbard is purported to refer to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and his failure to obtain an annulment from the Pope of King Henry VIII of England’s first marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The cupboard represents the Catholic Church, the dog represents King Henry VIII, and the bone, the coveted annulment.
Thomas Wolsey (1475 to 1530) was a cardinal and a statesman, Henry VIII’s lord chancellor and one of the last clergymen to play a dominant role in English political life.
Henry was desperate for a male heir and Catherine produced a daughter, Mary. He argued that his marriage to Catherine was not lawful and requested that Wolsey use his influence in Rome to get a papal annulment so that he could remarry.
However, Catherine’s nephew, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, dominated the Pope at the time and Wolsey failed in his mission. This failure led to him being arrested in November 1530 and accused of treason. He died on 29 November 1530 on his way south to face trial.
The other popular belief is that Old Mother Hubbard from the nursery rhyme was a retired housekeeper called Miss Sarah Catherine Martin. Miss Martin wrote and illustrated the poem in 1804, but whether or not it was about her own life is unknown. She worked as a housekeeper at Kitley House, the estate of Sir Henry Bastard in Yealmpton, and when she retired she occupied a lovely thatched stone and cob cottage nearby. The area abounds with legends about Sarah and Prince William Henry, a friend of Sir Bastard and a visitor to his estate.
About Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Roberta Eaton Cheadle is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has short stories and poems in several anthologies and has 2 published novels, Through the Nethergate, a historical supernatural fantasy, and A Ghost and His Gold, a historical paranormal novel set in South Africa.
Roberta has 9 children’s books published under the name Robbie Cheadle.
Roberta was educated at the University of South Africa where she achieved a Bachelor of Accounting Science in 1996 and a Honours Bachelor of Accounting Science in 1997. She was admitted as a member of The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2000.
Roberta has worked in corporate finance from 2001 until the present date and has written 7 publications relating to investing in Africa. She has won several awards over her 20-year career in the category of Transactional Support Services.
Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Dark Origins” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.
Writing to be Read 
Interesting. I must say, that these dark origin posts sometimes put me in mind of how people have always taken song lyrics apart to find the “true meaning”, especially with the Beatles’ music.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Annette, that is true, I suppose we are all interested in the deeper meanings of songs, poems and even nursery rhymes.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The Pope has not always been resident at the Vatican, during the time Henry VIII was trying to get an annulment from Catherine of Aragon the Pope was in residence in Spain, so it would not have been wise of him to declare that the King of Spain’s aunt had been living in sin with her late husband, Prince Arthur’s brother.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Janice, thank you for adding your thoughts. I think it would have gone against the doctrine of the church anyway as there was no just cause for the annulment that I am aware of. This did have huge repercussions for Catholics in England though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was the first rhyme in my nursery rhyme book, and as I child, I loved it. The dog came back to life, so I didn’t see it as dark. I never considered the meaning behind it and took it at face value. They end up dancing a jig at some point, if I recall correctly. I thought it was happy. What a different take I have on it now. Thanks, Robbie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Staci, this nursery rhyme was also a favourite of mine. In fact it still is. This one isn’t as dark as some other but still not just a straightforward jolly piece of writing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Reblogged this on and commented:
I am over at Writing to be Read with the November Dark Origins post. This month the focus is Old Mother Hubbard. Wishing all my USA friends a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. Thanks for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Reblogged this on Ed;s Site..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, I had no idea this nursery rhyme had historical/political origins! Fascinating.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Priscilla, the underlying meanings of the various nursery rhymes continue to amaze me. They were like the old fashioned political tweeting system.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Which of the two explanations for the origins of “Old Mother Hubbard” do you think there’s the most evidence for?
LikeLiked by 2 people
My honest opinion is that though the housekeeper option my appear more likely, it does not seem to have any more evidence than the other. In fact, it seems remote that she wrote about herself in this fashion given her character as a great socialite and flirt.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Who knows? The origin of the nursery rhyme might be something else altogether.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, it might.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I really enjoy this series and the historical significance of these old tales.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Bernadette, I am really pleased to know that. I enjoy learning more about these meanings too. Some I already knew and some are new to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I find the story about the housekeeper more believable. After reading the poem, I realized while I knew the phrase Old Mother Hubbard and her cupboards, I didn’t know the rest of the poem. Quite a strange one…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Jim, this certainly is an odd poem, almost nonsensical and yet it has been so popular. I agree about the housekeeper story being more likely but the other origin is more interesting.
LikeLiked by 2 people
it makes you wonder if it is the adult reading such poems to their kids or the kids themselves who enjoy it more…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Fascinating! I love the symbolism in the nursery rhyme. Knowing the origin, it makes perfect sense! Thanks, Robbie!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Jan, I am glad you enjoyed this post. I thought this origin was very interesting and I learned more about Wolsey while researching him for this post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Michael.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great! Now, i know another interesting nursery rhyme. Honestly i cant remember this tradition here, in Germany. Will have a look for this. Thank you, Robbie! Enjoy a nice evening! xx Michael
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Michael, I am glad you enjoyed this post. I can’t think of any German nursery rhymes. I can think of lots of fairy tales though. Have a lovely evening.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not sure about that political connection, though of course it’s interesting history. Old Mother Hubbard always reminded me of the old lady who swallowed the fly–just a reminder of life’s absurdity. (K)
LikeLiked by 1 person
HI Kerfe, the old woman who swallowed a fly is a great favourite of mine. I used to sing it with my kids all the time. The origins of these poems are all lost in the mists of time and there is lots of speculation but it is interesting to read about it. You learn some history too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It is indeed.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Two very different origins! Interesting.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Julie, I think these origins are interesting, even if some of them are convenient or speculative. The pass on some fascinating history too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always enjoy the Dark Origins posts. I like hearing what might be behind the nursery rhymes I recited as a child and again to my children.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Carla, I am delighted to hear that. I like them too and I am thinking of delving a bit into African dark myths next year.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That would be interesting, Robbie.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ll see what Kaye thinks of the idea [smile]
LikeLiked by 2 people
Kaye thinks it is a lovely idea. 🙂
I am not familiar with African folklore, but would love to delve into with you. Is it as dark as European lore? It could be a great adventure.
LikeLike
How interesting to read these two different origins, Robbie. I remember reading this when I was young, and of course, had no idea of the deeper meaning.
LikeLiked by 2 people
HI Lauren, lovely to see you. These origins are very interesting and I always learn something new. I hope you are having a lovely Thanksgiving today.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think it’s sad that women were little more than chattels in bygone days. I’m sure it takes two to create a baby- why is it her fault the child wasn’t a boy?
LikeLiked by 2 people
I certainly wasn’t her fault. It is men that carry the XY chromosome. That was the thinking at the time, that boys had value and girls did not. That is still the thinking in many developing countries including South Africa.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love these “dark origins’ posts and find it interesting that the nursery rhymes I loved and my children loved have a dark side…I wonder what will be the thoughts will be on the darker side of modern nursery rhymes in the future …
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Carol, I’m not aware of many modern nursery rhymes. All the ones I know are very old. These origins are interesting.
LikeLiked by 2 people