The nursery rhyme “Monday’s Child,” which is generally credited to Mother Goose, has the line “Wednesday’s child is full of misery.” The sentence basically predicts that children born on Wednesday would be unhappy. But where did the term “Monday’s Child” come from, and why are Wednesday newborns so sad? Let’s go back in time and see what history has to say about Wednesday kids and their problems.
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Wednesday’s Child Is Overflowing With Pain
First and foremost, we must study the historical context in order to understand why Wednesday’s child is so unhappy. So, when was the poem “Monday’s Child” first published?
While the poem is frequently connected with Mother Goose, it is possible that it did not start with the queen or with other nursery rhymes. In addition, “Monday’s Child” was first published in the second volume of Anna Eliza Bray’s 1838 book Traditions, Legends, Superstitions, and Sketches of Devonshire: On the Borders of the Tamar and the Tavy, Illustrative of Its Manners, Customs, History, Antiquities, Scenery, and Natural History. (Isn’t that an interesting title?)
The work is commonly referred to as A.E. Bray’s Devonshire Traditions due to its too ambitious title. However, it’s possible that “Monday’s Child” had been circulating for decades, if not centuries, before it was put to paper. Another book, Adam Fox’s Oral and literate culture in England, 1500-1700, lends credence to this notion. Fox recounts an old woman in 1570s Suffox who would “predict what luck euerie one should have by the day of the weeke he was borne on,” according to Elizabethan writer Thomas Nashe.
This indicates that in 16th century England, attributing particular attributes to people based on which day of the week they were born on was obviously a thing. (These days, we’re more likely to rely on astrological signs.) So, on the surface, “Wednesday’s infant is full of sorrow” might mean just what it says – that babies born on Wednesday are more likely to be moody.
Why Is Wednesday’s Child In So Much Pain?
Let’s try to figure out why Wednesday’s kid was in such a bad mood in the first place. We have a few informed assumptions at the very least. One explanation, for example, is based on the etymology of the days of the week, many of which are named after Anglo-Saxon gods. Wednesday was originally known as “Wodnesdaeg” and was named for Woden, also known as Odin.
Odin, the Norse pantheon’s greatest god, was not only a powerful monarch and warrior, but also a poet who enjoyed touring the world in disguise. Odin was a serious character who sought knowledge above all else, even sacrificing one of his eyes in the process. It’s possible that the plight of Wednesday’s youngster reflects some of Odin’s more severe characteristics, the weekday’s namesake. “Woe” may not have been as awful as it sounds, but rather a more serious manner — or perhaps a desire to grasp life’s deeper mysteries.
However, there are several distinct versions of “Monday’s Child,” some of which tell a completely different story concerning Wednesday babies. Wednesday’s child is “merry and cheerful” in a Scottish version of the poem, while Thursday’s child is “wise and mournful.”
Monday’s Poem for Kids
Are you curious to learn what “Monday’s Child” has to say about you based on your birth date? Reading the poem in its full is a good place to start.