Does the children's rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie" indeed have its origins in the bubonic plague?

Question

Hi all, I used to play this game as a child and I'm wondering if "Ring Around the Rosie" really contains references to the plague in it. I have seen a lot of conflicting information on this topic. Thanks!

Answer 1

A lot of sources say that the connection is correct. However, serious linguists have pointed out that the connection was first "seen" centuries after the plagues happened. It is very likely that this was just a nonsense rhyme chanted by kids, with no "dark" meaning, but the meaning was later read into it.

Still, I would say we don't know for sure. Trying to figure out the origin of very old sayings and verses is extremely difficult.

Answer 2

A popular misinterpretation[3] connects the poem with the Great Plague of London in 1665, or perhaps earlier outbreaks of bubonic plague in England;[4] however, there is no evidence that Ring a Ring O'Roses and the plague were connected, until it was proposed in the 20th century.[5] Regardless, this interpretation has entered into popular culture and is often used to reference the plague obliquely.[6] This plague link seems to originate with the movement for finding origins of folk-songs, which was popular in the early 20th century.[7] For example, according to the common forms of the plague interpretation, the 'falling down' has always involved dropping to the ground as the rhyme is recited, evoking the death from the plague. This conjecture has evolved into a complex explanation suggesting possible plague interpretations for every line. For other attempts to attribute 'hidden meaning' to other such rhymes

Answer 3

Yes is does. the explanation would be this. I Got from the source below. look at it for the whole thing. The nursery Rhyme, “Ring around the rosies, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down, has a terrifying meaning behind it. When at first caught, the Bubonic Plague would get rings of puss filled sores on the body. Soon after you would see their dead bodies full of posies as a sign of letting others to know not to go near the body (Poupard, L. Vincent). “Ashes, Ashes” describes the burning of the bodies (Poupard, L. Vincent). They would be carried off in carts in piles, from which they would go get cremated in mass numbers and put into a big pit. “We all fall down” shows the common belief back then, that there would be an extinction of the human population.

Answer 4

They used to burn the bodies. Since there were no graves, people would throw flower garlands into the fire. Children were told not to play in the ashes because they didn't know if the ashes could still carry plague.

Answer 5

Yes, it did. The "ring" are the blotches and sores that appear. "Posies" refer to the practice of keeping sweet smelling things on you to ward off the infection. "Ashes, ashes" was the burning of the bodies, and "We all fall down" is pretty easy to figure out: Dead.

Answer 6

Yes it does. When I was in Medical school we watched a historic video from that time( in black and white) and the historians said that is where that song came from. Creepy huh??

Answer 7

Not true ! It is just a nursery Rhyme

Answer 8

I thought it had to do with a wiccans' ritual or dance or game or something. I could be wrong though.

Answer 9

Thats what I heard in like 7th grade

*shrug*


wikipedia says no:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_around_the_rosie

Answer 10

No.
It is an urban legend.
Check it out on snopes.com