A classic English nursery rhyme "London Bridge is Falling Down" is quite popular among young kids. While the rhyme is said to have originated in the Middle Ages or earlier, the song only gained popularity in the mid-eighteenth century when the words were first printed in the form we know today. There are numerous variations of this rhyme or song, all across the world.
The music is accompanied by a delightful little game. Two children form an arch with their arms, as other children pass beneath. When the rhyme is finished, they lower their arms, trapping the child passing through them. The one caught in between the arms is out from the game and has to wait until the next game. Let’s take a peek at the history of the London bridge and the poem.
The Rhyme's Suspicious Concept
Historians have long questioned the meaning of "London Bridge Is Falling Down?". Underneath the surface of the song, as with many popular children's stories, there are some deeper connotations.
The most widely acknowledged origin for the rhyme is a myth that the rhyme first came into existence in 1014 when Viking leader Olaf Haraldsson reputedly pulled the London Bridge down during an invasion of the British Isles. We will learn about the Viking Attack Theory in detail in the next section. Though the truth of that attack has never been proven, the story inspired a collection of Old Norse poems written in 1230, which included a verse that sounds similar to the nursery rhyme. However, that was not the only event that could have prompted the London Bridge rhyme. Ice damaged a portion of the bridge in 1281, and it was weakened by multiple fires in the 1600s, including the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Despite all of its structural flaws, the London Bridge lasted 600 years and never "fell down", as the nursery rhyme suggests. It was finally demolished in 1831 because it was more cost-effective to replace it than to repair it.
Viking Attack Theory
As discussed in the previous section, we will have a look at the Viking Attack Theory in this section. "Heimskringla" is a collection of sagas about previous Norwegian kings written in Old Norse around 1230 by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson. According to "Heimskringla", Olaf II of Norway destroyed London Bridge in 1014 (or 1009). A nursery rhyme-inspired verse appears in a 19th-century translation of the Norse saga published by Samuel Laing in 1844:
London Bridge is broken down. —
Gold is won, and bright renown.
Shields resounding,
War-horns sounding,
Hild is shouting in the din!
Arrows singing,
Mail-coats ringing —
Odin makes our Olaf win!
Because the original "Heimskringla" document mentions Olaf II "breaking down" London Bridge, some historians believe this account is accurate, especially since it was recorded only a few hundred years after the event is said to have occurred. However, at the time of Laing's translation, London Bridge is Falling Down was already a popular and well-known nursery rhyme. As a result, it is unlikely that the rhyme is derived directly from "Heimskringla."
Laing appears to have simply wanted to make obscure Old Norse verses more accessible to English readers when translating "Heimskringla". So he took a well-known nursery rhyme and used it as a model for his translation. However, "Heimskringla" provides the only historically recorded instance of London Bridge actually "falling down", though there are no other corroborating accounts of such an attack.
Let us now have a read the poem.
The Poem
London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair Lady.
Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair Lady.
Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair Lady.
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
My fair Lady.
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay,
Bricks and mortar will not stay,
My fair Lady.
Build it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel, iron and steel,
Build it up with iron and steel,
My fair Lady.
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
Bend and bow, bend and bow,
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
My fair Lady.
Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold,
Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair Lady.
Silver and gold will be stolen away,
Stolen away, stolen away,
Silver and gold will be stolen away,
My fair Lady.
Set a man to watch all nigh,
Watch all night, watch all night,
Set a man to watch all night,
My fair Lady.
Suppose the man should fall asleep,
Fall asleep, fall asleep,
Suppose the man should fall asleep?
My fair Lady.
Give him a pipe to smoke all night,
Smoke all night, smoke all night,
Give him a pipe to smoke all night,
My fair Lady.
Other Theories Related to the Poem
The Immurement Theory
Alice Bertha Gomme, author of "The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland", suggests that the "London Bridge Is Falling Down" rhyme refers to the use of immurement, a medieval punishment. When a person is imprisoned in a room with no openings or exits and left to die, this is known as immurement. Immurement is a type of imprisonment in which a person is placed in an enclosed space with no exits and then left to die of starvation or dehydration. This torture was based on the belief that burying a person in the foundations of structures such as buildings and bridges would make them more sturdy and stable.
The Age and Damage Theory
The Old London Bridge played an important role in London for a long time, as it was the city's only crossing over the Thames until the mid-eighteenth century. The bridge has seen its fair share of wear and tear throughout its history.
A major fire in 1633 severely damaged and weakened the bridge. Much of the damage was not repaired, which actually aided the bridge during the Great Fire of London in 1666, as it served as a barrier, preventing the fire from spreading to South London.
The widespread popularity of London Bridge is Falling Down is usually attributed to Henry Carey's use of it in his satire "Namby Pamby" in 1725:
Namby Pamby is no Clown,
London Bridge is broken down:
Now he courts the gay Ladee
Dancing o’er The Lady-Lee.
This printing is less than a century after London Bridge was damaged by fire, so the nursery rhyme could be referring to the bridge's deterioration. The popularity of the rhyme may have been boosted by the fact that London Bridge was being repaired throughout the 18th century.
The bridge was originally intended to have 19 arches. These arches obstructed the proper flow of the Thames, which was exacerbated by an increase in river traffic. The decision was made to widen the central arches and increase the navigational span. These repairs were completed in 1763, but the bridge required additional work after that. Finally, it was determined that a new bridge was required. The New London Bridge was built in 1831 and lasted until 1972, when it was replaced and relocated to Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
It's no surprise that London Bridge is Falling Down became such a hit, given its long history of damage and repair.
FAQs on London Bridge is Falling Down - Poem
1. Who is the Fair Lady in the poem?
Aside from the mystery surrounding "London Bridge Is Falling Down", there is also the issue of the "fair lady". Several names have been proposed in an attempt to determine her true identity. Some well-known names are as follows.
As part of the theory that the rhyme refers to a centuries-old Viking attack, some believe she is the Virgin Mary. The attack is said to have occurred on September 8th, the day when the Virgin Mary's birthday is traditionally celebrated.
Henry I's consort, Matilda of Scotland (c. 1080–1118): She was in charge of many bridges that transported the London-Colchester road across the River Lea and its tributaries between 1110 and 1118.
Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223–91) was Henry III's consort. She was in charge of the bridge revenues from 1269 to 1281.
A member of the Leigh family of Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire: an old family legend claims that one of their relatives was a human sacrifice buried beneath the bridge.
2. How is the game “London Bridge is Falling Down” played?
London Bridge has "fallen down" countless times throughout the years, only to be rebuilt stronger each time. The song has been translated and adapted in various languages, especially in European countries such as Denmark: "Knippelsbro Gar Op og Ned," France: "Pont chus," and Italy: "Le porte." "Die Magdeburger Bruck" from Germany, and "Podul de piatra" from Romania.
To play this game, two children form an arch with their hands raised, face to face, and the remaining children pass through beneath the arch one by one, forming a circle. They continue to stroll in a circle going through beneath the arch, one by one. When the last word of the verse (the "My fair Lady") is spoken, the two children who make up the arch must capture the one passing through the arch by lowering their hands. The game continues until all the children have been caught between the arms.
