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→Early History of the Lullaby
==Early History of the Lullaby==
The earliest lullabies recorded are from Babylonia, in modern day southern Iraq, where the lullabies are not only songs to help babies sleep but they have characteristics we may find somewhat menacing(Figure 1). The piece mentions that the baby has cried and is waking up and disturbing the house god. Other lullabies from Babylonia were even darker, with threats that the baby would be eaten. While this may sound harsh to us, we should keep in mind of course many lullabies, including our own, have dark undertones such as death or pain caused to the child. Lullabies, with their melancholy rhythm, often have dark undertones in many cultures and that has stayed relatively consistent from their origin. Lullabies were also used as a basis to create magic spells used by Babylonian to help ward evil. So it may have been that saying bad or harmful things was intended to do the opposite, which was protect the baby from evil spirits. In Egypt, the mid-second millennium BCE lullaby, called <i>Magical Lullaby</i>, talks about protecting a child from evil spirits. Spells in Egypt involved some spell recitation, ritual, and a magician to be involved; however, lullabies seem to be one type of spell or magic that normal people could practice. However, it was important to cast the spell properly so lullabies were important for their words of protection from evil or night spirits. In fact, it was these evil spirits that were seen as making a baby cry so the soothing voice helped protect with that protection seen as putting a baby to sleep.
In fact, in the Greco-Roman world, similarly lullabies often had negative connotation and were equated or incorporated magic or spells that the singer would seemingly try to induce to help protect babies. Night would have been seen as potentially a very vulnerable period for a baby and songs would help sooth a baby but also the lyrics were intended to act as spells to help protect a baby from the darkness, which was equated with harmful things that may inflict a young baby. Scholars have, in fact, suggested that lullabies were effectively spells and the soothing sounds were seen as evidence that such spells may have helped babies sleep and avoid the harm that night may cause on a child.
[[File:Lullaby.jpg|thumb|Figure 1. This tablet advises parent on how to put their babies to sleep, which included singing a lullaby. However, early lullabies from Mesopotamia were often frightening and displayed fear of darkness. ]]
==Later Developments==
==The Modern Lullaby==
Many modern lullabies, of course, are based of their ancient or older counterparts, with themes often focused on fear, lurking dark creatures, or even death. However, studies do also show that lullabies in the past and modern period have beats that do help babies calm their hearts and that a song in a quiet tone with humming often has the effect of relaxing muscles and reducing blood pressure. Lullabies that have been composed recently often do not have the same melancholy or depressing nature of earlier works, although sometimes they do, while a modern rhythm and tunes accompany these works. Works such as Azure Ray have lyrics about not being able to sleep, but the tune appears to be more happy. Even old lullabies such as Rock a Bye Baby or Hush Little Baby have been adapted with often less melancholy beats. Many parents today have been using more upbeat songs and either modifying them or simply playing them at a lower level to get their babies to sleep. However, some sleep therapist and doctors do not thing all of these works might be appropriate. Recent research does suggest having a more melancholy beat and rhythm helps with sleep. There might be something about those old lullabies then, even if their lyrics are frightful or depressing, in that they generally create the type of sound that put babies to sleep more easily and also help relax babies so that their sleep is more efficient and beneficial.
==Summary==
Lullabies are almost as old as recorded history. From the earliest lullabies recorded in Mesopotamia and Egypt, songs were frightful and often full of frightening demons or gods that could eat or terrify anyone, including babies. Such themes continued and many early lullabies were probably prayers or forms of magic sayings that were intended to help ward evil spirits away from babies, which were seen as active at night. Even more recent lullabies, such as the popular Rock a Bye Baby, is full of terror and potential pitfalls for baby. Only in recent periods do we see more upbeat lullabies; however, some medical scientists question if such lullabies are effective and potentially melancholy tones and sounds might be more useful in calming babies' minds and hearts as they fall into sleep.
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