Remember your childhood days when you used to sing along to Humpty Dumpty? It's a classic rhyme loved by the entire nation! It has been passed down for generations and is still quite loved.
But where did this bizarre story of egg falling even come from? Why was he sitting on the wall? The origins of Humpty Dumpty will surprise you because the legends say that 'he' wasn't even an egg; he was a cannon!
Let us unpack everything there is to know about "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall!"
Humpty Dumpty Written Lyrics
Do you remember how Humpty Dumpty used to go? Here's how:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
Humpty Dumpty Printable Lyrics
Wish to add this iconic nursery rhyme to your children's room? Download the Humpty Dumpty printable here.
Humpty Dumpty Photo Lyrics
Video Links
What's a better way to acquaint your children with Humpty Dumpty other than a video complete with attractive visuals and exciting background sound? Check out the Humpty Dumpty video below:
Origins and History
Now, let's get to the egg-citing part - the origins and history of "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall":
Origins of “Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall”
In 1870, James William Elliott compiled a bunch of nursery rhymes and songs into one book called Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes and Nursery Songs Set to Music. One of the rhymes under it was Humpty Dumpty. He was always pictured as an egg with human-like features, eyes, nose, and mouth.
But there is a catch - if we go back long enough, we'll discover that Humpty dumpty isn't even an egg. It is a cannon!
The name "Humpty dumpty" refers to the Royalists' cannon used in the English Civil War. The cannon was placed atop a wall, but when the opposition forced entry, it fell down and broke into pieces.
Older Version (1797)
Here's what Humpty dumpty used to look like before in 1797:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
Four-score Men and Four-score more,
Could not make Humpty Dumpty where he was before.
FAQs
Before becoming the beloved egg we know today, Humpty Dumpty was used to refer to a cannon used in the English Civil War.
Mother Goose, an imaginary writer of French fairy tales and English nursery rhymes, is attributed with the authorship of Humpty Dumpty. The earliest publication of the rhyme in a book was Samuel Arnold's Juvenile Amusements in 1797.
Humpty Dumpty is always referred to using 'he' and hence is male.
There are various speculations on where the story comes from. Some say it was a device used to refer to breakable things in a riddle. The other state that it is actually King Richard III of England, a ruler who was humpbacked and experienced defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.
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