Tag Archives: strange

How Bloody Mary Inspired Two Gruesome Nursery Rhymes

Arkane Curiosities

Many early fairy tales and children’s songs have been sanitized over the years, their darker origins being submerged under the seeming nonsense of the verses. Yet if we dig deep enough, we can uncover the disturbing origin of nursery rhymes. Two gruesome nursery rhymes link directly back to Mary I of England.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

The homicidal Queen Mary I (1553 to 1558), a fanatical Catholic, executed hundreds of Protestants during her reign. Although the nursery rhyme did not appear till 200 years later (1744), Mary remained an unpopular monarch. 

The most common lyrics today are:

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row

Mary I was quite contrary, going against the grain of English Protestism. Yet how does she “grow” her kingdom? With the sprouting of gravestones from the 284 Protestants she burned at the stake. In this interpretation, the silver bells and cockle shells can refer to torture devices. 

The pretty maids in a row can refer to her attempts to create an heir. She knew she needed someone to rule after her, otherwise her sister, Elizabeth, would take control and revert the country back to Protestant beliefs. Mary was already 38 when married to Philip. She suffered from “phantom pregnancies” where she retained her menstrual fluid, causing her belly to swell. In the end, she suffered two such false pregnancies. 

Three Blind Mice

This rhyme dates much closer to Mary I, being published in 1609 by one Thomas Ravenscroft. The modern lyrics go like this:

Three blind mice. Three blind mice.
See how they run. See how they run.
They all ran after the farmer’s wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice?

During Mary’s reign, three Protestant loyalists plotted against the queen. Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Radley, and The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer all conspired to overthrow the queen. They were never blinded, but perhaps they were “blind” to the truth of God. Instead of cutting off their tails, Mary had the “Oxford Martyrs” burned at the stake. 

The farmer’s wife in this tale refers to Mary and her husband, King Philip of Spain, who owned massive estates. 

So the next time you hum one of these little ditties, think about the pain and suffering that inspired them.

Tim Kane

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Origin of Undyne from Undertale

Arcane Curiosities

The game Undertale, released September 15, 2015, has legions of devoted followers. You play as a human who falls into the Underground, filled with monsters. The most determined being Undyne the Undying. She is the head of the royal guard in the Underground. Her task, eliminate any and all humans. But what exactly is the origin of Undyne?

From Nymph to Royal Guard

Undyne’s name derives from the word Undyne (also spelled Ondine), a mythical water nymph. The undine is an elemental spirit representing water. The Swiss alchemist, Paracelsus, invented the name in his book “A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits” from 1566. The Latin root for undine is unda or “wave”.

No such fate would befall Undyne, her name a play on the word undying. She is committed to eliminating humans and stealing your soul — the last one needed to allow the monsters to escape from the underground. 

“Seven. Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god. Six. That’s how many we have collected thus far. Understand? Through your seventh and final soul, this world will be transformed.”

Undyne

A Determined Piranha

One theory about Undyne’s appearance is that she is a humanoid version of a piranha fish (specifically Serrasalmus Rhombeus).

Serrasalmus Rhombeus

Undyne is a fish-like monster with blue scales and a protruding maw of teeth. This matched the toothy grin of a piranha. Additionally, the Serrasalmus Rhombeus has red finned gills, matching Undyne’s red ponytail. Finally, piranhas have eyes with vertical slits, much the same as Undyne.

These fish also share Undyne’s personality, a ferocious determination to attack. However, piranha work in packs. Undyne needs no other help.

“Deep, deep in my soul. There’s a burning feeling I can’t describe. A burning feeling that WON’T let me die.”

Undyne

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Tim Kane

Manna From Heaven (Angelic Food)

Arkane Curiosities

Manna was a supernatural food given to the Israelites during their 40-year trek through the desert. It brings up images of divine bread and even Jesus’ miracle with the loaves and fishes. In the Bible it’s called the “Bread of Heaven,” “Angel’s Food,” and “Spiritual Meat.”

The World’s First Instant Meals

When the Jews set out from Egypt, they very quickly ran out of food. God sent a magical dew to the desert floor and when it evaporated, it left a flaky substance on the ground (resembling frost). 

The raw manna tasted like water made with honey. The Israelites ground these flakes with hand mills. They boiled the manna in pots to create flat cakes, which tasted like pasties baked with olive oil. 

The manna continued to appear on the ground each morning (except Sabbath, where they collected a double portion the day before). The Jews consumed this angelic food for 40 years until they crossed the border of Canaan. Once returned to the promised land, the divine foodstuffs vanished forever. 

Constant Whining for Better Food

Eating the same thing day after day can get monotonous. Soon, people pined for the tastes and textures of food back in Egypt — yearning for cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. They also wanted to nosh on some fresh meat. 

God compiled and sent an enormous flock of quail along with the manna. The people greedily collected days worth of quail. This so angered God, that he struck the Israelites with a plague. 

The First Superfood

As a divine food, manna was made up of only nutritious matter. The body absorbed every morsel and the Israelites expelled no waste. Additionally, manna had a fragrant smell that women would use as a perfume. 

Manna Rivers

The Jewish people had only four hours to collect the manna before it melted under the scorching desert sun. The melted manna created streams, giving sustenance to deer and other wildlife. Should a foreigner eat an animal who drank of these streams, they would taste the divine food. Otherwise, tradition states, that manna tasted bitter to gentiles. 

Tim Kane

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