Ring Around The Bubonic Plague

Almost every child in America would recognize “Ring around the Rosie”, or any of its variations, from its first appearance in the famous “Mother Goose” rhymes, to the version used today. What few seem to realize, however, is that this mays not merely be a clever and unique rhyme. In truth, a much darker and morbid theme could possibly surround this nursery rhyme: The Black Death.

The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was a horrific and deadly disease which began sweeping Europe in 1347, killing over twenty million people (“Black Death” History.com). It’s symptoms, treatment (or lack thereof) and effects are what are referenced within the “Ring around the Rosie” nursery rhyme. The first line “Ring around the Rosie” is a reference to the “buboes” (swollen lymph nodes) which formed on the bodies of the plague victims. The buboes were black in the center and ringed with a red rash, with the “rosie” being the center (Keko, “Ring Around the Rosie and the Black Death”). A strange rose, to be certain, but if one was dying of such a painful disease, who wouldn’t want to view them more cheerfully?
As plague victims grew sicker, they began to give off a foul stench, much like that of a rotting corpse. Essentially, that was what was happening to them: their bodies were decaying as they yet lived. To combat the smell, flowers were used – posies essentially became a symbol for fourteenth century air fresheners (Keko, “Ring Around the Rosie and the Black