What Is the Dark Meaning of “Ring Around the Rosie”? A History of the Rhyme

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   The American version of the rhyme is the most common. This version features the phrase “Ashes, ashes,” which is often changed to “A-tishoo! A-tishoo!” in British versions. For children in America, this is generally the version of the rhyme they grow up singing and reading in books: ^[6]

   • Ring around the rosie,
     Pocket full of posies,
     Ashes, ashes,
     We all fall down!
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   The oldest known version claims to be published in 1790. Folklorists and historians have uncovered this bit of history in recent years, but there still isn’t enough evidence to prove that this version of “Ring Around the Rosie” is truly the oldest. ^[7]

   • Ring a ring a rosie,
     A bottle full of posie,
     All the girls in our town,
     Ring for little Josie.
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   The oldest recorded version was published in 1855. This version of “Ring Around the Rosie” is proclaimed the first written rendition of the rhyme, and features different lyrics and cadence to the classic rhyme we know today. ^[8]

   • A ring—a ring of roses,
     Laps full of posies;
     Awake—awake!
     Now come and make
     A ring—a ring of roses.
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   “Ring Around the Rosie” isn’t the only nursery rhyme with a dark meaning. Believe it or not, children’s fairy tales and folklore aren’t always about happily ever after. With historical and metafolklorist contexts, we’re able to decipher the meanings of these seemingly innocent stories. Take a look at some of these popular rhymes and their twisted historical interpretations:

   • “London Bridge is Falling Down” may be about a human sacrifice and burying the remains in the foundation of a bridge. ^[9]
   • “Baa Baa Black Sheep” is said to depict the medieval wool tax that left nothing for anyone besides the king or church. ^[10]
   • “Jack and Jill” could allude to the French Revolution when Marie Antoinette was beheaded. ^[11]
   • “Humpty Dumpty” may be a crude depiction of King Richard III of England, who was defeated in 1485. ^[12]

This rhyme was called "Ring a ring a roses", not "Ring around the Rosie", which makes no sense. The "roses" were the blotches caused by the plague, and the words further on are "a'tishoo a'tishoo we all fall down", another reference to the plague.