Where does Ring Around the Rosie originate and what does it mean?
It comes from the nursery rhyme “Ring a ring o’ roses”, which is the best-known english variant of a singing game which is widely known all over Europe, including France, German and Irish language versions. It has no connection with the Black Death as many ignorant writers claim. http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board… “Ring Around the Rosie” is simply a nursery rhyme of indefinite origin and no specific meaning, and someone, long after the fact, concocted an inventive “explanation” for its creation. http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board… Its about the Bubonic plague, alot of nursery rhymes have strange origins: “Ring around the rosie” A plague buboe appears on someone’s cheek “A pocket full of posies” A popular way of fending off the plague “Atischoo, atischoo” Sneezing was an early sign of plague
The origin is essentially disputed. Many claim that it is in referance to the middle ages and the rampant spread of the bubonic plague. A “pocket full of posies” for the dead, and “ashes to ashes” for the dead bodies, as the infected dead were cremated instead of burried to prevent further spread. Others claim that the song is in referance to the Hindu god Lord Shiva. He wears a “ring around the rosie,” meaning a ring on his head and his neck (a snake bit him, but to prevent the poison from traveling to the rest of his body, the snake wrapped its body around Shiva’s neck…this also explains why his neck is always blue), and “pockets full of posies” are his offerings to appease him and prevent him from opening his third eye, which can make everyone go “ashes to ashes,” as fire is emitted from his pupils everytime it opens. Hope that helped.
It is definitely a word play on the plague. It was not CREATED for the plague but it was modifed and used for it. The ring around the rose has to do with the discoloration around the little red spots that appeared. Even though there were none, but remember that Yankee Doodle didn’t call his hat Macaroni, and Paul Revere never said “The British are coming” there is childlike license here Ashes because they burned the bodies. Pockets full of posies because they believed that the plague, which was associated with a horrible smell, was contracted through the air and the posies would help fight it off. We all fall down, because almost everyone that had it died. I clicked on the link and the source, marion Bowman is Full of S if you know what I mean. She also denounces the grimm tales. Just because its on the internet does not mean its true. This Nursery Rhyme, whether it predates the plague or not, was CLEARLY in reference to it. I have provided an more neutral source. Read the entries on t
