Title: This Little Piggy
General Information about Item:
Verbal Folklore Language: English
Language: English
Country of Origin: United States
Informant: Adelia Rattray
Date Collected: 10-9-21
Informant Data:
Adelia “Dede” Rattray was born May 23, 2001 in Providence, Rhode Island. Both of her parents are from Long Island, New York. She is a junior at Dartmouth and a member of Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority on campus. Dede has an older brother and a younger sister. Dede noted that “This Little Piggy” was one of many lullabies her parents would both sing to her and her siblings as children, but that this lullaby was her favorite and most prominent memory growing up.
Contextual Data:
Social Context:
“This Little Piggy” was one of many lullabies sung to Dede growing up, but she noted that this one was her favorite because when her dad sang it to her, he would soften his voice every time he sang it through until he was whispering and she fell asleep. She thinks that her dad put the children’s rhyme to a tune because she noted that everyone she knew growing up did not think there was a lullaby tune to it.
Cultural Context:
This lullaby originated in London in the 1760s with ‘pigs’ instead of ‘little piggy’. It was not until the mid-20th century that ‘little piggy’ became popular. Dede’s parents are both from New York and were familiar with the rhyme. This shows how songs and folklore can be shared and change over time. Dede and her two siblings share fond memories of this lullaby so it has brought them together as a family.
Item:
This little piggy went to the market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
This little piggy went wee wee wee
All the way back home
Associated file:
Informant Comments:
Thinking about my childhood with lullabies right now has brought back significant and happy memories from growing up. This reminds me of my dad and the gentle impacts he had on my upbringing.
Collector Comments:
I really enjoyed hearing Dede talk so passionately and candidly about her childhood experience. She is a friend of mine so getting a glimpse into her family and fond memories was so special and made me reflect on my own experiences.
Collectors Name: Jennifer Wendelken
Tags: Dartmouth, English, female, student, verbal folklore