The Twins in Myth— One Modern Rhyme

by VedantaBlack 04.03.21 23:00

A common rhyme traced to at least 17th century CE.

Jack and Jill
Went up the Hill
To fetch a pail of Water
Jack fell Down & lost his Crown
& Jill came tumbling after

“Jack and Jill

Heavenly Twins of Norse Mythology, originally Hjuki and Bil, a boy and girl “taken up the Heavenly Hill by their Moon-Mother, Mana. They drew the Water of Life “from the Well, Byrgir, in the Bucket, Soegr, suspended from the Pole, Simul, which they bore on their shoulders.” Hjuki was derived from jakka, to assemble or increase; Bil from bila, to break up or dissolve. Thus the twins signified forces of creation and destruction. It was said their faces could forever be seen in the markings of the moon. Bil’s voice could be heard in the singing wind, and Hjuki sends moonlight to help night-bound skiers find their way safely down to valley towns.
An event reported in 1633 suggests that an esoteric meaning of the Jack and Jill myth might have been embedded in a ritual recognized as Heresy. A 20 year old girl named Mary Spencer was convicted of Witchcraft because “on her way to the well for water, she often rolled her pail down the hill, running before it and in fun calling it to follow her.” That such apparently trivial actions invited serious charges, even death sentences, suggests that they must have been understood in some other way than mere play.” (Source: The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myth’s and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker)