Dead or Dreaming: Certain Lullabies Contain Aggressive Verses - Lullabies with Extremely Aggressive Content: Mild Sleep Aids Turn Sinister
Dark Themes in Lullabies: A Mirror of Society and Personal Experience
Far from the tranquil melodies and comforting lyrics that lullabies are often associated with, these Sleep songs can contain morbid and violent themes, according to musicologist Stéphane Aubinet of the University of Oslo.
Among the chilling lullabies that Aubinet knows, a Norwegian lullaby threatens a child with being grabbed by the leg and slammed against the wall if they don't go to sleep. In Russia and the Baltic countries, lullabies frequently describe the child's funeral in detail, while "Rock-a-bye Baby," one of the most popular English-language lullabies, ends with the branch the cradle is hanging from breaking.
Lullabies serve as "mirrors of society," according to musicologist Miriam Akkermann of TU Dresden and FU Berlin. They reflect the cultural, societal, and personal experiences of their time. Experts suggest that the lyrics in general are a way to process emotions like frustration, anger, and difficult personal experiences.
Singing lullabies appears to be occurring less in families with young children, according to Akkermann. Despite this, many people still remember lullabies from their own childhood, as shown by the current project "Berlin falls asleep," which collects lullabies from people of more than 170 nations in Berlin.
A study published in the journal "Child Development" found that mothers and caregivers who were encouraged to sing more to their babies via a smartphone-based music program reported increased well-being in their infants. Singing, intuitively used mainly for soothing, may benefit both the baby and the caregiver.
Singing lullabies is a universal practice with numerous benefits. It requires no special equipment or training and can be easily accessed, making it a practical approach for pediatricians and professionals working with families to promote a child's well-being. Spanish poet Rodrigo Caro once called lullabies "the mother of all songs and the song of all mothers."
Northern and western European countries often feature cheerful, hopeful lullabies, reflecting a new, romantic view of children as innocent beings. In early 20th-century Japan, lullabies had little of the happy world, with texts advising that the child should be put into a straw sack and submerged in water if it cries.
Lullabies are also used for kings and other rulers and even for animals, such as sheep in Mongolia and other parts of Asia, and cattle in Scotland. For instance, 19th-century Scottish Taladh-Bleoghain songs were sung to cattle to calm them down.
According to musicologist Akkermann, more and more adults are using music as a sleep aid, with some people falling asleep faster. However, it is unclear whether it's the music itself or the fixed ritual of listening to music at bedtime that has a positive effect on sleep.
Several providers have special sleep concerts in their program, giving permission for passengers to drift off to sleep to the music of dedicated musicians. There will also be a sleep concert in the context of "Lullabyte," where participants will be questioned for research purposes after waking up.
- The various themes in lullabies, such as the dark and morbid ones, can be seen as a reflection of societal and personal experiences, mirroring the cultural context from which they originate, as suggested by Miriam Akkermann, a musicologist.
- Lullabies serve not only as a means of soothing children to sleep but also as an outlet for adults to process their own emotions, just as Stéphane Aubinet, another musicologist, has observed in his research on the subject.
- As the practice of singing lullabies seems to be declining in some societies, contemporary projects like "Berlin falls asleep" aim to collect and preserve lullabies from different nations, ensuring these historic nursing tunes continue to be shared across generations.
