It’s no fairy tale. Mother Goose Day is coming
May 1st has a fair number of familiar and unusual celebrations to choose from, but since this is a library column, written by a librarian, I thought it was only fitting to choose Mother Goose Day as my topic this week.
Mother Goose Day was founded in 1987 by Gloria T. Delamar, an author of several books including one featuring Mother Goose tales. Mother Goose fairytales and nursery rhymes teach lessons and entertain, were written by Charles Perrault, a French writer in the 17th century; he is credited as being the creator of the “fairytale” genre as we know it. In 1729, Robert Samber translated Perrault’s work, calling it “Histories, or, Tales of Past Times, Told by Mother Goose.”
But did Charles Perrault create Mother Goose, or did she really exist? As with many a legend, there are several theories. In Boston, Massachusetts you can visit the grave of Mary Goose in the Old
Granary Burying Ground; though she died in 1690 lending some weight to the theory that she is Mother Goose, there is no evidence to suggest she is the origin of Mother Goose’s tales. Another theory suggests that Elizabeth Foster Goose, Isaac Goose’s second wife after Mary’s death, is actually Mother Goose. It is even said that Elizabeth’s son-in-law published her stories and rhymes in 1719; no copy of this supposed publication has ever been found, so it’s unlikely that this theory is accurate either.
Historians have suggested that the moniker “Mother Goose” may actually have its origins back in the 8th century when Bertrada II of Laon, mother of Charlemagne, who dedicated herself to caring for children and was known as “Goose-foot Bertha” due to a malformation of her foot. Whether this theory is accurate or not, by the mid-1600s in France women who entertained children with stories and rhymes were often called “mere l’oye” (Mother Goose).
Nursery rhymes and fairytales continue to delight children today. From Mother Goose, to the Brothers Grimm, to Hans Christian Andersen, to Disney’s adaptation, all ages continue to delight in these tales.
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Did It Happen Here? Perspectives on Fascism and America edited by Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins (Non-Fiction; Book)
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A Killing on the Hill: A Thriller Robert Dugoni (Fiction; Book)
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Shackled: A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and a Town That Looked Away by Candy J. Cooper (YA Non-Fiction; Book)
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