Dark Themes in Lullabies: Soothing Songs with Hidden Tension
Deadly Lullabies: Soothing Melodies Sometimes Contain Harsh Verses - Harmonious Slumber Versus Demise: Lullabies occasionally carry extreme lyrics
A common misconception about lullabies is that they are always softly melodious and innocent. Dr. Stéphane Aubinet, a musicologist at the University of Oslo, explains that this is only part of the story. Lullabies span a wide range, encompassing both cheerful and harmonious songs as well as those with morbid and violent lyrics.
For instance, in a chilling lullaby from Norway, the child imminently faces threats of being forcibly grabbed and thrown against the wall if they fail to sleep. In Russia and the Baltic countries, lullabies often describe intricate details of a child's funeral. Even the popular English-speaking lullaby, "Rock-a-bye Baby," has a branch breaking beneath the child's cradle, putting the infant's safety in jeopardy.
Dr. Aubinet has amassed an extensive literature on lullabies and sleep songs, spanning from the earliest recorded lullaby dating back to around 2000 BCE in ancient Mesopotamia to today's technological innovations such as digital apps for toddlers.
According to Dr. Miriam Akkermann, a musicologist at TU Dresden and FU Berlin, lullabies serve as "a mirror of the society of their time." Music experts believe that song lyrics offer a means of processing personal experiences, stressful situations, and emotions like frustration or anger. Despite this, families with young children are singing less and less, with the reasons unclear, possibly not due to a lack of knowledge.
A current project, "Berlin goes to sleep," collects lullabies from people of over 170 nations in Berlin, demonstrating that many people still remember traditional lullabies from their childhood. A study in the journal "Child Development" found that mothers and caregivers who sang more to their babies via a smartphone-based music program perceived increased well-being in their infants.
First called the "mother of all songs and the song of all mothers" by the Spanish poet Rodrigo Caro, lullabies hold unique significance across cultures. Almost all of the 124 cultures considered worldwide use songs to help children sleep, with 78% having a specific repertoire of lullabies. Meanwhile, others employ popular music, religious songs, improvisation, and humming for this purpose.
Among the Sámi, an indigenous people in northern Europe, each child is given their own identity-forming melody, called Dovdna. Similar traditions can be found among Inuit cultures in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, as well as indigenous peoples in Siberia.
In contrast, early 20th-century Japanese lullabies often contained darker themes, such as putting a crying child in a straw sack and submerging it in water. These songs, penned by overworked child maids in wealthy households, expressed their frustrations about their challenging lives.
While many participants in the "Berlin goes to sleep" project may not be aware of the sometimes dark lyrics of the lullabies they have long known, a majority of the project's feedback indicates that people are taking notice and reconsidering the texts.
With adults increasingly turning to music as a sleep aid, it is not surprising that more and more people are falling asleep faster. However, it remains unclear whether it is the music itself or the established bedtime routine that is responsible for this effect.
Interestingly, kings and other rulers were also soothed by song, with their servants singing to them to aid in falling asleep. In some cultures in Mongolia and other parts of Asia, sheep are even sung lullabies to help them rest. In Scotland, "Taladh-Bleoghain songs" were sung to cattle and other livestock to calm them down in the 19th century.
For pediatricians and professionals working with families, the recommendation to sing more with children is a practical and easily accessible strategy to promote the child's well-being. In the near future, there will be a sleep concert as part of "Lullabyte" for research purposes, allowing researchers to question participants after they wake up.
- Community action could involve organizing events to revive the tradition of singing lullabies, recognizing their significance in promoting youth health-and-wellness and cultural preservation.
- In the context of youth policy, it would be beneficial to consider the role of music in sleep and well-being, incorporating music interventions into health-and-wellness programs for adolescents.
- As science continues to explore the effects of music on sleep, entertainment industries and music platforms could capitalize on this research to create sleep-inducing music catering to various cultural tastes and preferences, particularly focusing on the lullabies of different communities from around the world.
