Rainy, Rainy Rattle-stanes Lyrics
Scottish children sang this to a hailstorm, asking it not to fall on them but to rain on Johnnie Groat's House, far over the sea.
Rainy, Rainy Rattle-stanes
Rainy, rainy rattle-stanes,
Dinna rain on me;
But rain on Johnnie Groat's House,
Far owre the sea.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/rainy-rainy-rattle-stanes/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Sung or chanted in a Scots voice, wagging a finger at the sky
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Dinna rain on me | Hold your hands above your head like an umbrella. |
| Johnnie Groat's House | Point far away with a stretched arm. |
| Far owre the sea | Wave your arm in a long wave over the top of the room. |
What Does Rainy, Rainy Rattle-stanes Mean?
Some of the words are Scots. Rattle-stanes are the hailstones that rattle as they fall. Dinna means do not, and owre means over. So the children are saying: rattling hail, do not fall on me, but fall on Johnnie Groat's House, far over the sea.
John o' Groats lies at the north-eastern end of mainland Scotland, so sending the storm there is sending it as far away as a child could imagine. Me and sea rhyme, which gives the rhyme a neat ending.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints the rhyme in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories and says that during a hail-storm country children sing it.
Learning Activities
- Hail game: shake a tin of dried peas or rice to make the rattle of hail while saying the rhyme.
- Scots words: say dinna, owre and stanes aloud and match each to its English word.
- Find John o' Groats: look at a map of Scotland and find the place at its north-east corner.