Humpty Dumpty

Subject: Words to Humpty Dumpty
From: Ditchdweller
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 03:05 PM

Far from being an egg, the original Humpty Dumpty was a Royalist ½ culvern cannon destroyed in the Siege of Colchester during the Civil War. (The real one, not the American re-run). What we now know as the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty is apparently the chorus of a Roundhead marching song. Has anyone got the words for at least some of the verses???

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 03:38 PM

Oh dear, Sapper 82, you've just reminded me of the definition I heard of Humpty Dumpty on "I'm sorry I haven't a clue" last year (I think perpetrated by Graeme Garden) as "someone who's been humped and dumped"...

Sorry I can't help with song words.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 03:44 PM

Prof. Daube's Cochester Cannon spoof (1956) was disposed of in a thread here quite some time ago.

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: gnu
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 04:04 PM

was pushed !

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 04:14 PM

Here's the place where Prof. Daube was mentioned: click here and look for the posting with no name;

and, here is where this has been discussed before: Humpty Dumpty was pushed.

Not sure if either of those is exactly what you were/are looking for, Sapper.

kat

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: Blackcatter
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 01:13 AM

Nice to know that war with 646,392 casualties is not considered a real war...

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 03:50 AM

Has anyone got the words to the French parody of this

Un petit d'un petit

Sorry seem to be in French mode at the moment but this is a serious request. Apparently there's a whole book of them. Anyone know what it's called?

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 08:13 AM

Un petit, un petit, S'etonnaint aux Halles Un petit, un petit, A degres t'falle

The grandchild of a grandchild was astonished (impressed?) by the Halles (the French Stock Exchange) and was gradually corrupted.

I have (or had) the books somewhere - I'll see if I can find them again.

E cure, E cure d'Hoc...

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 12:48 PM

Blackcatter,

"...Nice to know that war with 646,392 casualties is not considered a real war... "

I think it's just a reaction to continued American refrences to their civil war with the definite article and no national qualifiers (Always "The Civil War" seldom "The American Civil War").

Walrus

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: Mrrzy
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 01:19 PM

Et, qui rit des curés d'Oc?

Un petit d'un petit
S'étonne aux Halles
Un petit d'un petit
A, dergreacute te falle
Indolent qui ne sort cesse
Indolent qui ne se mène
Qu'importe un petit d'un petit
Tout gai de Regennes.

... is how I remember it, but I don't have the book here either. It's from Mots D'Heures, Gousses, Rames (words of the hour, cloves of garlic, oars - pronounced Mother Goose Rhymes, loosely speaking).

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: Mrrzy
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 01:19 PM

That should read A, degré te falle, sorry!

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: Snuffy
Date: 07 Feb 02 - 07:02 PM

"Nowadays we think of Humpty Dumpty as an egg, but there are several meanings given to this Rhyme. It was said to have been a huge war machine built in the reign of Charles I. The plan was that soldiers would hide in the machine, it would roll down a hill, over a river and up to the walls of the city of Gloucester. Unfortunately it collapsed in the river and many soldiers were drowned"

Taken from "Chester's Easiest Nursery Rhymes" (Pre-Grade 1 to Grade 1 - so it must be right!! They wouldn't be allowed to misinform our youngest musicians, would they?

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 03:38 AM

I shall look up mots d'heures on my library machine - does anyone know who wrote it?

Sarah

Subject: RE: Humpty Dumpty
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 06:53 AM

I have N'Heures Souris Rames translated by Ormode de Kay and published by Grafton. ISBN 0-586-21744-4