Ever noticed why many nursery rhymes have "falling" occasions?

Question

like:

Humpty Dumpty

London Bridge is Falling Down

Rockabye Baby

Jack and Jill

Answer 1

Yeah, when I sing rock a bye, I change the lyrics... the end goes" but momma will catch you, cradle and all."

Most fairy tales from way back involve hurting children or abandonment.

I don't think kids were very well liked then. Poor little guys.

I'm digressing, though. Wonder if the fascination with falling was around the time they discovered opium? LOL

Answer 2

I wonder why that is.  It's weird isn't it.  But we consider these staples in child rearing.  I liked the answer about changing the words to Rockabye Baby.  I know that Native Americans would hang their babies, papoose and all in a tree while they worked.  That kept the baby close by and off the ground, away from wild animals, so, maybe that is where that one came from.  

And Ring Around the Rosie is about the Black Plague.  Pocket full of posies - with all the death, it stunk.  They carried flowers around to help with the smell.  Ashes, ashes we all fall down -- everyone was dying.

Answer 3

I believe the originals came from the brothers Grimm and they were far from little kid story's.  hence the falling down parts.  

London bridges was really never meant to be a nursery rhymes, it was about a bridge that was being taken down and moved to the states.. and the "ashes ashes, we all fall down' had something to do with the black death, I think..