Today I took my grand-daughter to the amusement centre at the local mall. There is an enclosed area that children can enter with an admission ticket and once inside, there is an assortment of play equipment to keep the little ones amused. She will play in there for more than an hour while I sit outside listening to a mind-numbing loop of children's nursery rhymes, sung in a grating sort of sing-song fashion by a group of children. One of the songs was "Ring a Ring o' Roses" which is supposedly a reference to the symptoms of the pneumonic form of the bubonic plagues of the middle ages. However, the Wikipedia article for the rhyme casts doubt on the theory that a rosy rash ... was a symptom of the plague, posies of herbs were carried as protection, sneezing was a final fatal symptom , and “all fall down” was exactly what happened. It is assigned the status of urban myth. However, The Phrase Finder is a little more accepting of the idea and, while urging caution, suggests it might be possible.
This site on the origin of English rhymes is totally supportive of the idea, although admitting that the idea has its skeptics:
The words to the Ring around the Rosy children's ring game have their origin in English history. The historical period dates back to the Great Plague of London in 1665 (bubonic plague) or even before when the first outbreak of the Plague hit England in the 1300's. The symptoms of the plague included a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin (Ring around the rosy). Pockets and pouches were filled with sweet smelling herbs (or posies) which were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The term "Ashes Ashes" refers to the cremation of the dead bodies! The death rate was over 60% and the plague was only halted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats which carried the disease which was transmitting via water sources. The English version of "Ring around the rosy" replaces Ashes with (A-tishoo, A-tishoo) as violent sneezing was another symptom of the disease.
You can actually order of the 27" x 22" poster of the above print for $21.99 from here. If you double click on the image, you get a larger version but it has a very obvious water mark embedded in it to thwart those who might try to print it directly. My personal belief is that the rhyme does refer to the bubonic plague but the debunkers remain and Snopes.com, a site that investigates urban myths and a site to which the Wikipedia article alludes, contains a quite detailed analysis of the possibility and concludes that the claim is false. No matter, I believe!
This site on the origin of English rhymes is totally supportive of the idea, although admitting that the idea has its skeptics:
The words to the Ring around the Rosy children's ring game have their origin in English history. The historical period dates back to the Great Plague of London in 1665 (bubonic plague) or even before when the first outbreak of the Plague hit England in the 1300's. The symptoms of the plague included a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin (Ring around the rosy). Pockets and pouches were filled with sweet smelling herbs (or posies) which were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The term "Ashes Ashes" refers to the cremation of the dead bodies! The death rate was over 60% and the plague was only halted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats which carried the disease which was transmitting via water sources. The English version of "Ring around the rosy" replaces Ashes with (A-tishoo, A-tishoo) as violent sneezing was another symptom of the disease.
You can actually order of the 27" x 22" poster of the above print for $21.99 from here. If you double click on the image, you get a larger version but it has a very obvious water mark embedded in it to thwart those who might try to print it directly. My personal belief is that the rhyme does refer to the bubonic plague but the debunkers remain and Snopes.com, a site that investigates urban myths and a site to which the Wikipedia article alludes, contains a quite detailed analysis of the possibility and concludes that the claim is false. No matter, I believe!
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