The artwork that surround this nursery rhyme depicts Henry VIII, the king of England, as a gluttonous and entitled. He is drawn at many ages, but the most surprising was him being drawn as a teenager, which is historically accurate being that he took the throne at 17 years old.
The 'six' in "sixpence" reflects the 6 wives Henry had, but also makes mention of the Queen's Lady in Waiting, Anne Boleyn, whom of which was his mistress.
The mention of 'blackbird pie' can be interpreted as a play on Henry's gluttony, as well as to represent the outrageousness of his ruling and decisions. However, baking live animals in food was a practice during this time period. It is also debated whether or not the bird represent activists, their desire to be escape Henry's rule, and the freedom they would experience once they were able to wrangle out of his rule.
The nursery rhyme has been said to be a sort of encoded message, urging people to join the revolution against Henry.
All information was found here: http://eclipse.rutgers.edu/goose/rhymes/sass/
No comments:
Post a Comment