ELI5 Nursery Rhymes - why so morbid?

ELI5 Explain Like I'm 5: Bite sized answers to stuff you should know about - in a mini podcast

Why are nursery rhymes so morbid? Is Ring Around the Rosie really based on the bubonic plague? Why were they used as anti-authority memes? Where does the term Mother Goose rhymes come from?

... We explain like i'm five!

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community as always and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: bon7bon2000, the_original_retro, largosan, noplaytime, iateurcrayonz, mecaenas, smithy2997 & wannabebunny

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