The belief that the nursery rhyme “Ring around the Rosy” refers to the bubonic plague has never been proven. The song didn’t appear in print until the 19th century, and while some elements suggest the plague, it cannot be verified. The lyrics have been related to the plague reference, but it may just be a simple children’s game.
The child’s play and nursery rhyme, Ring around the Rosy, is commonly believed to refer to the bubonic plague. This allegation has never been proven. The song Ring around the Rosy didn’t appear in print until the 19th century. Of course, it may have been sung or played much earlier. Reports of Ring around the Rosy link it to elements suggesting the plague and are often explained as folklorists’ attempt to find real-world or historical explanations for some folk songs and traditions.
The argument that Ring around the Rosy references the Black Plague is due to the symbolic display of the lyrics. It is helpful to examine the complete lines to see how each has been related to the plague reference. Although the song has many versions, a recognizable one is the following: Ring around the Rosy
Tasca piena di Posies
Fear! Fear!
We all fall.
Many know the third line as “ash, ash” or “achoo, achoo.” There are numerous variations but many suggest a sneeze sound. The first line, according to some, refers to the common outburst of the Black Death. Large pustules developed on the infected, often marked by a red ring, which gradually turned black.
In the song, the line “pocket full of posies” has a couple of interpretations. It could be associated with people who carry flowers in their pockets, or more often up to their noses so as not to feel the horrendous stench of the dead and dying. Alternatively, posies has been suggested to be a pun on the word pus, again suggesting boils produced by the plague.
The sneeze in the third row would obviously be related to the symptoms of the disease. If the ashes variant is used in Ring around the Rosy, this could suggest a biblical allusion to ‘ashes on ashes’. Clearly the falling part refers to death.
While it could be argued that Ring around the Rosy refers to the Black Death or, according to some, the Great Plague of London in the 17th century, this cannot be verified by any historical evidence. Sure, you can certainly tell that the fear of illness might be in people’s subconscious mindset and might find its way into something as innocent as a children’s song. Some nursery rhymes and songs can refer to rather terrible events.
However it cannot be argued that the song Ring around the Rosy or its associated game consciously refers to the Black Death or the Great Plague. It may just be a simple children’s game, with no intention of causing anything more than great amusement.
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