“Ring a Ring O'Roses”. Have you ever sung this rhyme??

I was always told as a child that Ring a roses was a plague rhyme, but as an archaeologist with an interest in the medieval period it actually doesnt add up. The symptoms are not that of Bubonic plague at all, that was symptomised by a fever and black buboes or pus filled swellings at lymph nodes such as under the groin. So, the folklore doesnt quite match the evidence. I don't know what disease it would match up with though. Fascinating stuff folklore.

Lololol no I haven't I know I used to sing this rhyme as a Child and do the actions lol but I have never thought of it any other Way then a Game Hugs

Yes, I've heard that explanation for the rhyme. But sneezing is a different superstition. When you inhale to sneeze, the belief goes, you bring in evil/bad spirits. So those around you "bless" you to combat the spirits. At least that is what I've heard.

Yes I have heard that is where the saying came from.I also heard the plague was carried by fleas infectionous bites,the fleas were carried by the rats.Interesting huh? Makes you glad things are a bit cleaner now.

Hi alexandria, I know that some of the rhymes have its origin but the one you mentioned is not something I'm familiar with. For some people who said "bless you" after a sneeze, it is because most people are saying it too. From what I can decipher, if somebody gave a good sneeze, the other person will say "bless you" when what he/she really mean is "thank you" for contaminating me with your sneezing. :)

Yes I heard that its about the plague also, but I grew up with one line as ashes, ashes..we all fall down or atleast thats what I was always told. I also heard the reason we say bless you when someone sneezes is because it was believed you actually lost a piece of your soul when you would sneeze and if you said bless you there sould would go directly to heaven.

No thats the one I remember growing-up .... And if you think about it its true ... What are your ideas ?

well i use to sung this song when i was in nursery and we also play on our lunch break we make cirle and grab each others hand and sung this song circling around.

I remember play that as a game when I was a child and we all flopped down at the end. You have the correct origin it is the same as on this link http://www.rhymes.org.uk/ring_around_the_rosy.htm

I was curious if that story was true because I had always heard that it was related to the Plague too, so I looked it up. The interpretation that it relates to the Black Plague seems to be a 20th century invention. There are 12 versions of the game/song and only one has any words that could even remotely be interpreted with any kind of disease. Seems that most experts in traditional folklore find it highly unlikely that it is refering to any of the many instances of Plague outbreaks in Europe. But who knows, nobody says a definite no or yes on the subject. Just that it's unlikely. My source for this info was wikipedia.org so you can read the page for yourself. It's kind of interesting.

Nope i had no idea but when i ran it past my other hanf, he said he knew about that, i wonder why he did but i didn't have a clue. I have to admit that the only thing that came to mind when you asked why people say 'Bless You' when someome sneezes is from a Simpson's episode - where Bart sells his soul! Milhouse explains that when you sneeze it's your soul trying to escape & by saying 'God Bless You', that crams it back in there! Sorry :) That's the only thing that i could think of!

I have actually hear of this. One of my English teachers in high school told me about this. I think it was my freshman English teach actually. We talked about really off the wall stuff in that class. She told us the originations of a lot of nursery rhymes. I wish I could think of some. If I think of any I'll have to post them

You are 100% correct about the very negative origin of this rhyme (as most children's fables and songs do have)

I am not sure about the orgin of it but i loved that as a kid. I remember me and my friends in a circle going around and around singing it and then falling to the ground.

that is so funny because it was my 12 year old granddaughter who told me this to she is always telling me things she learns at school , I love too hear all of this kind of things m, it doesn't matter how old we get there is still something new to learn , and doesn't it make them feel so good when they tell us something we don't know lol xx

What!! I'm dumbstruck at the origin of this rhyme. I must have sung it and 'enacted' it scores of times in my childhood and never knew that it had such a sad story behind it. Are you sure??!!

Yes I had heard this before, 'Bless You' id really short for 'God Bless You', as there was a very good chance that the Plague would kill you if you were sneezing. If someone in your house had the plague then you had to put a cross on your door as a warning, the Plague itself was pretty well erradicated by the 'Great Fire of London' which started on 2nd September 1666 and destroyed a large part of London.

I think I heard this a long time ago. For awhile there I also heard that when you sneeze, your heart stops briefly and that in that respect it is similar to dying. I think that that was never true but a lot of people believed it. For whatever reason, I always thought saying God Bless You or Bless You was kind of old fashioned and sweet.

That is indeed the correct origin of that rhyme. I sang it many times with my sister and friends as a child. Many of the famous nursery rhymes actually have very negative messages to them. Off the top of my head I can't remember any of them but if I remember what they are, I'll share some with you. I'm sure I have them on a file on my computer somewhere.

In Ireland, it is usually sung thus: Ring around the 'rosies A pocketful of posies ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo (imitative of sneezing) We all fall down. It looks like yours is the Irish/UK version. Here are some additional verses you may or may not know: The King has sent his daughter To fetch a pail of water ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo We all fall down. The bird up on the steeple Sits high above the people ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo We all fall down. The cows are in the meadow Lying fast asleep ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo We all jump up again.