Ring Around the Rosie and The Black Plague
In the 14th century, a terrible plague also known as the Bubonic plague struck Europe in 1347, killing over a million people. There is a strange conspiracy theory about the relations between the nursery rhyme “Ring Around the Rosie” and the Black Death. These theories have been reported related to each other because of the lyrics of the song, and the symptoms in the disease. With that being said, I believe that the nursery rhyme has very little to do with the Black Death.
Have you ever wondered where the nursery rhyme Ring Around the Rosie came from or what it means? The rhyme was written in 1347 and is supposedly about the Black Plague. The Black Death is a disease that is believed to be caused by rodents and …show more content…
The most common version we know today happens to be referring to the Black Death. The first symptoms of the disease was a round, red rash. In the first lyric of the song it says “Ring Around the Rosie” which is meaning to the round, red rash. (Mikkelson) The second lyric, “pocketful of posies” is believed to be the practice of carrying flowers and placing them around the infected person for protection. (Mikkelson) “Ashes Ashes” is a imitation of the people sneezing or the sound of the sneezing made by the infected person. (Mikkelson) Finally, “we all fall down” is a result of the many people who were killed from the disease. (Mikkelson) Other versions of the rhyme have very little meaning about the lyrics being about the Black Death. In versions that Stephen Winick explains, she says many versions do not mention falling and if they do, everyone gets back up once they have fell. Which does not make sense if falling down is a meaning for death. (Winick) “Posies” or flowers are common in almost all the songs. Some versions tell how the flowers are in pots or bottles. (Winick) Not one of the lyrics in this version refers to the plague. One meaning to rhyme say it was used as a playful courtship game. (Winick)
In the 14th century, a terrible plague also known as the Bubonic plague struck Europe in 1347, killing over a million people. There is a strange conspiracy theory about the relations between the nursery rhyme “Ring Around the Rosie” and the Black Death. These theories have been reported related to each other because of the lyrics of the song, and the symptoms in the disease. With that being said, I believe that the nursery rhyme has very little to do with the Black Death.
Have you ever wondered where the nursery rhyme Ring Around the Rosie came from or what it means? The rhyme was written in 1347 and is supposedly about the Black Plague. The Black Death is a disease that is believed to be caused by rodents and …show more content…
The most common version we know today happens to be referring to the Black Death. The first symptoms of the disease was a round, red rash. In the first lyric of the song it says “Ring Around the Rosie” which is meaning to the round, red rash. (Mikkelson) The second lyric, “pocketful of posies” is believed to be the practice of carrying flowers and placing them around the infected person for protection. (Mikkelson) “Ashes Ashes” is a imitation of the people sneezing or the sound of the sneezing made by the infected person. (Mikkelson) Finally, “we all fall down” is a result of the many people who were killed from the disease. (Mikkelson) Other versions of the rhyme have very little meaning about the lyrics being about the Black Death. In versions that Stephen Winick explains, she says many versions do not mention falling and if they do, everyone gets back up once they have fell. Which does not make sense if falling down is a meaning for death. (Winick) “Posies” or flowers are common in almost all the songs. Some versions tell how the flowers are in pots or bottles. (Winick) Not one of the lyrics in this version refers to the plague. One meaning to rhyme say it was used as a playful courtship game. (Winick)