[Karen W. (OP)]

Ride a Cock Horse to banbury cross to see a fine lady upon a white horse. With rings. On her fingers and bells on her toes, she shall have music wherever she goes.

WHAT exactly is a Cock Horse?  My mind is not in the gutter although the question rather leaves an opening for many witty replies! LOL....

[neilep]

Ride a Cock Horse to banbury cross to see a fine lady upon a white horse. With rings. On her fingers and bells on her toes, she shall have music wherever she goes.

WHAT exactly is a Cock Horse?  My mind is not in the gutter although the question rather leaves an opening for many witty replies! LOL....

Wiki says :

"A "Cock Horse" can mean a high-spirited horse, and the additional horse to assist pulling a cart or carriage up a hill. From the mid-sixteenth century it also meant a pretend Hobby horse or an adult's knee"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ride_a_cock_horse_to_Banbury_Cross

[Karen W. (OP)]

Thank you Neily!

Did you know that before reading wiki or after it?

[neilep]

Oh I knew it of course Kareny mam...I know everything !!... []

[Karen W. (OP)]

LOL...LOL I suspect you did....LOL...LOL. Thanks for enlightening me though!

[Airthumbs]

Interesting question and I found this about it;

The words of the Banbury Cross nursery rhyme are often attributed to Queen Elizabeth I of England (the fine lady) who travelled to Banbury to see a huge stone cross which had just been erected. The words 'With rings on her fingers' obviously relates to the fine jewellery which would be worn by a Queen. The words 'And bells on her toes' refer to the fashion of attaching bells to the end of the pointed toes of each shoe - this fashion actually originates from the Plantagenet era of English history but was associated with the nobility for some time! Banbury was situated at the top of a steep hill and in order to help carriages up the steep incline a white cock horse (a large stallion) was made available by the town's council to help with this task. When the Queen's carriage attempted to go up the hill a wheel broke and the Queen chose to mount the cock horse and ride to the Banbury cross. The people of the town had  decorated the cock horse with ribbons and bells and provided minstrels to accompany her - "she shall have music wherever she goes". The massive stone cross at Banbury was unfortunately later destroyed by anti - Catholics who opposed the notion of pilgrimages. http://www.rhymes.org.uk/ride_a_cock_horse.htm

[neilep]

Yep !..I knew all that too !!  []

[Karen W. (OP)]

Thanks Airthumbs That is a cool history to add to the meaning of a cock horse.. Thank you both very much!

[neilep]

I knew ewe were gonna say that !  []

[Karen W. (OP)]

LOL...LOL... What am I thinking now then Sheepy??? LOL