Children's vocal play

Children's vocal play encompasses doggerel or rhymes, often intoned or chanted (rather than truly sung), and shows considerable similarity in both rhythm and matter all over the world. In its fullest range this play also includes true melodic song, incantation, imprecations, and prose formulas of wisdom and lore. 'Out of the mouths of babes', however, often comes prejudice, insensitivity, taunting, tormenting, witchcraft hexing and perpetuations of superstitions, all in the guise of traditional, innocent rhyme and verbal play.