Three Blind Mice

First recorded: 1609

Origin: England

Lyrics

Three blind mice, three blind miceSee how they run, see how they runThey all ran after the farmer's wifeShe cut off their tails with a carving knifeDid you ever see such a sight in your life as three blind mice?

History and Meaning

"Three Blind Mice" is one of the oldest rounds still sung, printed in 1609, and one of the bloodiest: a farmer's wife cuts off the mice's tails with a carving knife. A popular theory ties it to "Bloody Mary" and three burned Protestant bishops, though the rhyme appeared decades too late to fit.

Origins

The rhyme was first published in print in 1609 by composer Thomas Ravenscroft in his collection of rounds and songs titled Deuteromelia. The original 1609 lyrics were slightly different, referencing a character named "Dame Julian" and a miller's wife who scraped her tripe. The modern version of the lyrics, featuring the farmer's wife and the carving knife, was popularized in the nineteenth century and collected by James Orchard Halliwell in 1842.

Meaning & Interpretation

On a literal level, the rhyme is a simple, dark comedy about mice chasing a farmer's wife who then punishes them.

However, a well-known historical theory suggests that the rhyme is a political allegory about Queen Mary I of England, also known as "Bloody Mary." According to this interpretation, the "three blind mice" represent three Protestant bishops (Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer) who were accused of plotting against the Queen. They are described as "blind" due to their Protestant beliefs. The "farmer's wife" represents Queen Mary, who had the men burned at the stake in Oxford rather than cutting off their tails. While this story is widely repeated, historians point out that the earliest version of the rhyme was printed decades after Mary's reign, and there is no direct evidence supporting this connection.

While traditionally sung as a children's round, some believe the rhyme refers to Queen Mary I executing three Protestant bishops in the sixteenth century. However, this interpretation is unproven.

In the popular historical theory, the farmer's wife represents Queen Mary I of England, who ruled from 1553 to 1558 and executed Protestants who opposed her rule.