What does the nursery rhyme mean. mary mary quite contrary

Question

i wondered what this means. Mary mary quite contrary

Answer 1

As in most of these nursery rhymes, this one had historical significance referring to Mary I of England who tried to restore England to being Catholic (silver Bells)  Cockleshells referrs to her husband cheating, and pretty maids all in a row refers to her miscarriages.  Another example would be Ring around the rosie which refers to the black death.  There are many interesting books available on the origins of nursery rhymes.  

Answer 2

The following is copied from the website in the link below:

Mary Mary quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And pretty maids all in a row.

The origins are steeped in history... Bloody Mary!

The Mary alluded to in this traditional English nursery rhyme is reputed to be Mary Tudor, or Bloody Mary, who was the daughter of King Henry VIII. Queen Mary was a staunch Catholic and the garden referred to is an allusion to graveyards which were increasing in size with those who dared to continue to adhere to the Protestant faith - Protestant martyrs.

Instruments of Torture!

The silver bells and cockle shells referred to in the Nursery Rhyme were colloquialisms for instruments of torture. The 'silver bells' were thumbscrews which crushed the thumb between two hard surfaces by the tightening of a s***w. The 'cockleshells' were believed to be instruments of torture which were attached to the genitals!

The " Maids" or Maiden was the original guillotine!

The 'maids' were a device to behead people called the Maiden. Beheading a victim was fraught with problems. It could take up to 11 blows to actually sever the head, the victim often resisted and had to be chased around the scaffold. Margaret Pole (1473 - 1541), Countess of Salisbury did not go willingly to her death and had to be chased and hacked at by the Executioner. These problems led to the invention of a mechanical instrument (now known as the guillotine) called the Maiden - shortened to Maids in the Mary Mary Nursery Rhyme. The Maiden had long been in use in England before Lord Morton, regent of Scotland during the minority of James VI, had a copy constructed from the Maiden which had been used in Halifax in Yorkshire. Ironically, Lord Morton fell from favour and was the first to experience the Maiden in Scotland!

Executions!

Another form of execution during Mary's reign was being burnt at the stake - a terrible punishment much used during the Spanish Inquisition. The English hated the Spanish and dreaded the idea of an English Inquisition. The executions during the reign of Bloody Mary were therefore viewed with a greater fear of the Spanish than the executions themselves - it is interesting to note that executions during her reign totalled less than 300-- an insignificant amount compared to the executions ordered by her father King Henry VIII, which are believed to have numbered tens of thousands!

Answer 3

I remember learning that it referred to Mary, Queen of Scots, but I wasn't sure, so I tried a quick search online. Apparently nobody knows for certain, but some do believe it referred to her. Some others believe it referred to "Bloody" Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII. Looks like you can take your pick.

Answer 4

which version, cause theres a version that goes around on the streets of jersey city that i dont think is appropriate for yahoo

Answer 5

it was to make fun of this girl named mary in the secret garden...i think.  it might not be the one you're thinking of

mistress mary

quite contrary

how does her garden grow?

with silver bells and cockle shells

and three marigolds in a row

Answer 6

Mary goes to opposite extremes and she does things differently.  

So she is asked "How does your garden grow."

Mary tells him puppy dog tails . . . . all in a row

In other words, she plants her garden contrary to others.

Answer 7

well Contrary means: Unfavorable, imcompatible with another so

Mary, Mary quite unfavorable...