Venusian lullaby

For the Paul Leonard novel, see Venusian Lullaby.

"Kokleda partha mennin clatch. Aroon aroon aroon. Kokleda sheena teerinatch. Aroon aroon aroon. Aroon aroon aroon. Aroon aroon aroon..."

— the song lyrics

A Venusian lullaby was used by the Doctor to soothe Aggedor, along with the sonic screwdriver, which apparently had a hypnotic effect on the beast. (DW: The Curse of Peladon, The Monster of Peladon).

For reasons unknown, the melody of the lullaby was identical to a centuries-old Earth Christmas carol entitled, "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen". As the original composer of the carol -- and indeed the date of its creation -- have been lost to history, any connection that may exist between the two pieces of music can only be speculated.

The first line translates roughly to "Close your eyes, my darling. Well three of them, at least"! (DW: The Dæmons)

More obscurely, in the late 2000s, an illustrated book of Venusian lullabies was used to placate a giant Zansi baby by Rhys Williams when he and Gwen took care of him. (TWM: Rift War!: Funhouse!)

Some archaeological sources suggest that the tune isn't a lullaby, but instead a bawdy rhyme. (NA: Lucifer Rising)

Behind the Scenes

As Jon Pertwee (the Third Doctor) liked to reveal, he has made up the tune to the song by putting nonsense words to "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen". The original Christmas carol has since been heard several times in the 2005-present revived series.