My mother picked the very best one (why ancient knowledge may be just what you think it is.)

I’m periodically amazed how children's traditions transfer from one generation to the next with absolutely no formal instruction or schools or written or recorded materials.

 

For example:

Dee Dee gets ready to decorate Christmas cookies and says eenie meenie minee mo (“miny mo”?)

Small instances like this are windows into fundamental processes that govern how knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next.

It's very popular to temper enthusiasm for ancient knowledge that was transferred orally. Some theologians and historians (many very good ones) remind us how stories change within even a couple generations (from “Grandpa landed at Normandy on D-Day” to “Grandpa single-handedly captured a Nazi battalion”).

Note here however that Dee Dee repeats this rhyme verbatim from my childhood, and no doubt from yours as well.

Consider how information might survive that was transferred by adults and considered far more vital. There’s no leap of faith needed at all to believe that even after thousands of years, many words of prophetic ancients retain their original sense.

c0

There is, BTW, a gender variation with this lyric. When I was in grade school at Vernondale Elementary in Millcreek, PA, boys said “catch a doggie by the toe” and excluded the section regarding “my mother said.” Only girls said “catch a tiger” and included mom.

[2013-12-13]

 

c0