Bonus 109: Skipping rhymes, counting chants, and fortune-telling games - Children's oral culture
Children have a shared culture that's transmitted face-to-face in schoolyards, summer camps, and all sorts of places where kids do unstructured play with each other. These chants, rhymes, and games are known as childlore, and they're one of the last vestiges of oral culture in our highly literate society.
In this episode, Lauren and Gretchen get enthusiastic about childlore! We talk about our favourite bits of childlore from our own childhoods, such as skipping/clapping rhymes, counting-off rhymes, and fortune-telling (Gretchen runs the MASH fortuneteller game on Lauren with a linguistics twist). We also talk about tracking down the sources for "All Right, Vegemite!", a compilation of Australian children's chants and rhymes from Lauren's childhood, selectively choosing to pass on less racist and sexist versions of the rhymes, the relationship between childlore and memes, as well as research from folklorists and anthropologists on childlore around the world.
Listen to this episode about childlore, and get access to many more bonus episodes by supporting Lingthusiasm on Patreon. You'll also get access to the Lingthusiasm Discord where you can share some of your own childlore, and see how much it differs from other lingthusiasts!
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Taylor Swift's Eras Tour grossed over $2 billion, leading her to distribute $197 million in bonuses to performers and crew, including $100,000 each to about 50 truck drivers.
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IT'S ANOTHER F-CKIN BONUS FOR SOULS LIFE, NOT EVEN THE NEXT CHAPTER, BUT I FINISHED SOMETHING.
Alright, I need to set the record straight: This particular bonus is Semi-cannon, part of the Sillies Rps that we in the Souls Life discord started doing.
Consider Semi-cannon to be this: If you'd like it to be cannon, it can be, but if not, that's fine! The bonus your about to read does not add anything to the main story.
For Sillies Rp bonuses, I will specify that they are semi-cannon.
AND YES, THE CAVE INCIDENT IS CANNON.
One last thing: For anybody who isn't already aware, us Souls Life Members have a fan discord!!!!! If you'd like to see the fanart, fanfiction, and sona playlists of other members beyond myself, or you want to talk about any theories you have or just rant about Souls Life, message me on Tumblr and I can send you the discord link!!!!!
Now, with all that said, who's ready for some Flowers And Facts?
Crow was laying back in a flower field, trying to unwind from the chaos at spawn. Elliott mentioned a storm was on its way, but for now, things felt like a beautiful summer day.
The wind carried the scent of flowers, enough to surround his senses but not enough to overpower them. He watched as the grass swished back and forth with the breeze, almost like it was dancing.
He heard rustling, similar to the swishing grass but not quite. Propping himself onto his elbows, he spotted a familiar girl in blue overalls–chasing a butterfly, it seemed. He chuckled at the scene, watching as the butterfly flew up too high and Arctic waved goodbye to it.
The girl looked around, spotting Crow. “Hewo!!!” She called out, waving a greeting. Crow waved back, and Arctic scrambled over to him.
“Watcha doing?” She asked, bouncing up and down on her feet. Crow lowered himself back down on the grass, being mindful of his wings and tail.
“Enjoying the sun.” He explained. “I haven’t been able to in a while.” Not since they were all thrusted into this strange place, but he didn’t feel like reminding Arctic.
He had come here to escape the reality of their situation for a bit. Arctic seemed like the perfect companion to help with that.
She looks up at the sky. “How do you enjoy it?” She asked, squinting at the sun. Crow shook his head, laughing a little to himself. Luckily, the girl didn’t seem to hear him.
“By just…being in the moment, I guess.” Crow answered. “It’s calming how everything dances in the wind. And the grass is so soft!” He added, patting at the ground and laughing.
Arctic plopped down beside him, attention fully captured from what he could tell. “How does stuff dance in the wind?” She questioned, tilting her head to the side just a smidge.
“Watch the grass.” Crow said, pointing to it. Arctic followed his hand, doing as told. The two watched as the grass swayed left, right, and back again, following the wind. “Just like that.” Crow remarked.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Arctic began to sway back and forth with the grass.
Crow had long learned that there was no such thing as a dull moment with her, as she was soon asking, “What music is it listening to?”
Crow let out another chuckle. Indulging her, he offered some answers. “Probably lo-fi music…or ambience sounds.” Turning his head to fully look at her, he threw the question back. “What do you think?”
“Lullabies.” She says after a moment. There’s a beat of pleasant silence, followed up with, “It’s almost hypnolic, kind of.”
Now, Bee had told the others that Arctic seemed to sometimes say words a bit wrong, and Crow wasn’t…the greatest at picking up context clues. Still, he figured ‘hypnolic’ was probably the word he would use to describe the swaying grass: ‘hypnotic’.
Crow hums a bit, joining Arctic in her swaying, tapping his fingers to a beat he knew from experience only he could hear.
They sway in companionable silence for a bit, before Arctic yawns, then hiccups. “It’s so pretty here! How’d you find this?”
Crow simply shrugged. “I was looking for a place away from all the noise at spawn.” He admitted. “So…I just started walking. Eventually, I found this.” He gestured around them a bit, taking in a deep breath and relaxing. “It’s a nice piece of quietness.”
Arctic considered his answer for a moment, something odd flashing across her face. “...and then I showed up.” She joked weakly. She giggled, which wasn’t abnormal…but it sounded far from genuine. “I’ve been…told I’m loud. By most people.”
Crow remained silent, unsure of what to make of her reaction. Apparently silence was a bad move, because Arctic began to ramble a bit, as if trying to defend herself…which he didn’t feel was necessary.
“B-but I can be quiet! If that’s what you want right now.” She said quickly. “I promise!” She offered her pinkie finger to him, and as sweet of a gesture that it was, it was completely unwarranted.
Unsure what else to do, Crow gently pressed her pinkie back into her palm. “I…don’t think you're loud.” He said slowly, hoping to drive his point home.
“That might not last long.” She warned, but she also giggled again, sounding far more like she meant it. “What’s your favorite flower, by the way?” Crow didn’t miss the change in subject, but he didn’t acknowledge it. It wasn’t worth breaking the calm.
He took a second to think, resting his chin on his hands. “Hmm…I’d have to say lilacs for their scent, sunflowers cause they’re pretty…or maybe alliums. Or blue orchids.” He realized he was on the verge of rambling and cut off. “Indecisive, I know.”
Arctic just shrugged. “You should see me try to remember what I had for breakfast.” Her face broke into a bright grin. “And I’m pretty…what’d you call it? Inledicive too. I just like flowers. I like pretty colors and nice smells.”
“Understandable.” Crow said. Followed by, “I don’t remember where I leave things half the time.” He chuckled, resting his head on his knees, head turned to face his companion.
The companion in question was nodding her head rapidly, to the point Crow was worried for her neck. “Yeah!!! I don’t understand why that happens–why are brains so silly????” She says it with a slight pout.
She doesn’t seem upset, from what Crow can tell. She was calm, it seemed. Maybe a little sleepy. But thankfully, she doesn’t seem mad or sad.
“Brains are like that sometimes.” Crow explained. “It’s like a ball of yarn that unravels as you try to pick it up, until it’s one big tangled mess.” He shifted into a laying down position as he spoke.
Arctic seemed to consider his comparison. “And some people are like cats.” She offered. “Batting the yarn around, making things worse, even if they don’t mean too.” She tucked her knees in front of her, resting her chin on them.
“It feels like those people can’t exist here, though.” She added softly.
“...the cats?” Crow asked, wondering if she was referring to this particular spot or the games in general. If somebody like that existed in their group.
Arctic nodded. “It feels safe here. No kitties can bat at my yarnball brain. Nobody can break me. Nobody can try to make me cry. No–” She cutted off. “I’m making things sad. I shouldn’t make things sad, I’m sorry.”
Crow didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to get rid of the hurt and pain that seemed to cover Arctic like a weighted blanket. He didn’t know how to make her happy again.
She shook her head, as if trying to clear it. “This place can’t be safe if I’m actively making it sad.” She sounds disappointed. At what, Crow doesn’t know exactly, but he’d probably guess herself.
Out of the corner of his eye, Crow spotted a blue flower nearby. He sat up, picking it and offering it to Arctic. “Aaaw. It’s alright.” He said, trying his best to reassure her, to make her happy again.
He didn’t want her to be sad because of his analogy. He didn’t want anybody to be sad, period, but he especially didn’t want somebody as happy-go-lucky as Arctic to be sad because of him.
She seemed to brighten a bit, taking the flower and twirling it in her fingers. “I don’t think I’ve seen this before. What is it?”
“Either a cornflower or chicory, I’m not sure. They’re way too similar for me.” He said, then added, “Fun fact! You can actually use the roots of chicory as a coffee substitute!”
Arctic dragged her gaze from the flower to Crow. “Really? That’s daisy–crazy!” She corrected herself, giggling and wrinkling her nose.
"Yeah, they used to use it during war in times when coffee wasn't available. They also used sweet potatoes and a whole bunch of weird stuff." He chuckled, his tail bouncing against the ground softly.
In response, Arctic giggled. “Sweet potatoes? How can that be coffee?” Crow was more than willing to answer.
"Well... it wasn't quite coffee. They cut it up about the same size as coffee beans and treated it as such, cooking for the same amount of time." He explained "it's not ever gonna be 'coffee' but it was the best they had."
He paused, then. “Oh gods, I was rambling again, wasn’t I?” He glanced at Arctic through the corner of his eye.
To his surprise, (and relief) Arctic was staring at him, looking completely enraptured. “Were you? I dunno.” She said, turning herself to face Crow more. “What other stuff do you know?”
Crow blinked slowly, not fully registering Arctic’s words. No yelling? No snapping? No bored yawn or sigh? Asking for more information? Well, he could certainly offer it.
"Um, I know that they use clams to monitor the water quality of the new york city's water supply! When they close because of how polluted the water gets, they have little sensors on them that go 'hey!!! Water no good!' And shuts down the whole city's water till it's fixed."
He was full on rambling now, no doubt about it. He used his finger to draw lines into the dirt, trying to show visually what he meant. When he risked a glance up, Arctic was staring at the drawing, looking amazed.
“That’s incredible!” She said, looking up at Crow. “I can’t believe one person can just know all this stuff! That’s so cool.” She seemed genuine, something Crow…really wasn’t used to.
Unsure what else to do, he ignored the compliment. He decided to continue his rambling instead. “And that’s like…” He paused, moving his fingers in the motion of a piano player while counting. “8.4? 8.5 million someodd people?” He estimated.
“Someodd?” Arctic asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Uh.” He stuttered, not quite sure how to explain. “Give or take about a million people or more. It's kind of used as, like, an estimate guess? Sort of?” Thankfully, that answer seemed to satisfy her.
“Okey! What else?” She asked him. Well, if it was facts she wanted…
"Let's see..." He hummed, tapping his hands against his legs as he sat there thinking. When a fact came to him, he snapped his fingers at Arctic. “Oh, I know! Did you know roses are actually considered a fruit?”
Arctic stared at him, jaw dropped. “Why? What about them is a fruit?”
“Because of the rose hips!” He explained eagerly. He never got the chance to share his facts like this. “They’re the fruit that gets left behind after the bugs snack on the pollen and the petals drop from the base of the flower. They're editable, but... it's an acquired taste."
He wrinkled his nose a bit at the idea. Meanwhile, Arctic was looking like she was trying to solve a hard math problem. “...roses have hips? I thought they had stems?”
Crow chuckled. “Don’t hurt yourself over it.” He considered how to explain, then settled on, “Think of it like a jawbreaker. After all those layers are gone, you're left with a gumball, right?” Arctic nodded. “That’s basically what a rose hip is.”
Arctic stared at him for a few seconds, before saying, “The world is just full of small secrets! It’s fun to learn about them.”
Crow shook his head, chuckling to himself. “Let me know if you wanna hear any more facts. I’m called the walking encyclopedia for a reason!”
The twin-braided girl nodded. “I like hearing them! How’d you learn so much, anyway?”
“I don’t know, honestly.” He answered. “I’ve always kind of just been able to remember little facts I read or heard.” Sighing, he shifted into a laying down position, mindful of his wings.
“But try to ask me what you told me to do 10 minutes ago? Not a clue." He added.
She blinked. “I asked you something 10 minutes ago?” Her brow furrowed, as if trying to remember. “Well, no need to worry, ‘cause I also don’t remember what I asked!”
Arctic giggled, flopping down beside him, the flower he had given her still in her hands. Crow sighed, then laughed. “It’s an example, not necessarily yourself.” He clarified.
“Ooooh.” Arctic said. There was a pause, then: “Am I stupid? I think I’m a little stupid at times.” Crow glanced at her, catching her nose wrinkling. “My loss, I guess.” She said with a sigh.
Crow pouted, patting her shoe. "Everybody's like that sometimes. Don’t fault yourself.” He said, hoping to reassure her. No response. “Hey…why don’t we make flower crowns?” Crow suggested after a moment or so of silence.
Arctic sat up immediately, eyes lighting up. “Can we?” She asked hopefully.
“Why not? It’s not like there’s a short supply of flowers around.” He hummed, sitting up. Carefully, he picked some flowers close to the root, in order to have them weave together more easily.
His companion beamed, quickly following suit. “We’re gonna look so pretty!” She commented, sounding over the moon. Crow was glad that the distraction seemed to have helped.
Crow sat back so he could weave the flowers together more easily. He started off with some blue ones, switching to white when he ran out. Arctic helped out, passing carefully plucked flowers for him to weave.
Crow gave Arctic a nod as a thank you and took the flowers from her hand. He mixed them into the braid he had made, sticking the shorter flowers in between the bigger ones where they were too short to weave together.
He hummed while he worked, wings swaying to a beat that only he could hear. Arctic tried to hum along, sounding a bit off key while struggling to catch on to the song.
Finally, he grabbed some spare leaves littering the ground, sticking them into emptier spots in the crown. Sitting back, he admired his work.
Beside him, Arctic bounced with happy energy, clapping. “It's so pretty!”
Crow hummed in response, then passed it to the girl. “For you!” He said.
She giggled, clearly delighted. But before she put it on, Crow watched as she carefully weaved in the blue flower he gave her, having it take the place of a jewel.
Crowning herself, she asked, “Now we do yours, right?”
If you’d like!” He replied, already grabbing more blue and white flowers to make a second crown.
“Of course!” Arctic nodded. She passed more flowers to him, and the two soon found an identical rhythm as before. “What other fun facts do you know?”
Crow considered that for a moment while taking some of the flowers she offered. “Did you know that sharks with 6 gills are considered fossils?"
“Why?” Arctic asked with a wrinkle of her nose.
“Well, they haven't evolved in over 250 years.” He answered. “They're quite a rare sight apparel.”
“Oh wow!” Arctic was bouncing against, looking completely wrapped up in his facts. “What else, what else?” She pleaded.
“Angler fish are thought of as huge and evil…but they're only as big as a baseball.” He explained, delighted. A huge grin was plastered across his face.
“How big is a baseball?” Arctic oddly asked…but she sounded genuinely curious. Crow supposed that it might not be common knowledge depending on where you were from.
He thinks for a moment. “About the size of a fist, maybe smaller.” He guessed, studying his own.
Arctic looked at her fist, rolling her uninjured wrist. “That is small!”
“Yeah! And they always make them so scary in media.” He explained, finishing up the crown. Arctic was beaming at him.
“I like learning stuff from you! It’s nice!” She says gleefully.
“Thank you.” Crow said, feeling his already huge grin grow. “I like being able to share all the little things I know with somebody who actually wants to listen.” He admits, pushing aside all the spare flowers and leaves.
“I’m always happy to listen!” Arctic agreed confidently, flopping down onto the grass. Crow spotted her blinking sleepily up at the sky, and realized just how tired he was himself.
Crow laid down himself, yawning. “Thanks for keeping me company.” He said while drifting off.
The last thing he heard was Arctic quietly promising, “Anytime. I’m always happy to spend time with you.”
