Could the horrifying history behind a famous nursery rhyme be a myth?

This week The Mythologist is delving into the mysterious origin of one of the most famous nursery rhymes in the world: Ring Around the Rosies

The lyrics are familiar to most around the world. “Ring around the rosies, a pocket full of posies, atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down.” It seems innocent as children playing in the schoolyard sing but this nursery rhyme has long been thought to have originated under tragic circumstances.

From 1665 to 1666 London was in the grip of what would become known as The Black Death. The bubonic plague, so named for the boils that cover the infected, was rampant across Britain leaving over 100,000 people dead. It has long been thought that the lyrics of Ring Around the Rosies refer to this infamous plague with the “rosies” referencing the red rashes that would cover the skin of the affected. It is said that posies were then used to mask the smell of the flesh as it rotted giving rise to the line “a pocket full of posies.”

While this is widely presumed to be the origin of the nursery rhyme, urban legend website Snopes.com has since suggested that this explanation might be a myth. Citing folklorist Philip Hiscock, the website suggested that the lyrics likely referred to the 19th Century Protestant ban on dancing across Britain and North America.

During such time “play parties” became popular during which “ring games” were played. These games involved the partygoers forming a circle in an attempt to work around the laws of the time. The games often lacked musical accompaniment and were hugely popular with children possibly leading to the creation of nursery rhymes like Ring Around the Rosies although, as Snopes admits, the rhyme is likely of “indefinite origin and no specific meaning.”

Nursery rhymes often carry with them dark and twisted backstories with many referencing death and sex in a similar way to many classic fairy tales. While many theories exist as to the truth behind their origins, in reality, the centuries-long telling of such stories and singing of such songs has likely left their true meanings lost to time.

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