My mother -- not an academic by any stretch, but a woman of parts --
taught me the song "Ring around the rosey" around 1958, at the
time that she taught me to skip rope. On being asked by a *very* pert
(and poorly co-ordinated) child why the words were so silly, she said
that it was about the Plague, and described the rosettes, the idea of
nose-gays as preventative medicine, and falling down as something that
rhymed rather better that "died." She's 73: I asked her about it again
today, and she remembers singing a version of the song with friends in
childhood, but does not remember when or from whom she heard that it had
Plague connections.
For what it's worth,
Judith Anderson Stuart
Graduate English (PhD II)
York University, Toronto
<[log in to unmask]>
On Fri, 13 Feb 1998, Monastery Library wrote:
>
> DICITUR
> Seriously--following the development of this legend is a hobby of
> mine. If anyone heard the plague explanation before 1961, I'd love
> to hear it, along with any serious scholarly proof (e.g. references
> in literature, song, broadsheet, etc.) that could prove it IS about
> the plague.
>
> RESPONDEO DICENDUM
> My novice master was happy to quote Ring-a-ring etc as a commonly
> known reference to the Black Death. That was in 1954. He was an
> Irishman: it may be that the story is yet older.
>
> By stages we shall get back to 1349, but at this rate it will be a
> bit slow.
>
> a.c.
> Anselm Cramer OSB
> Monastery Librarian
> Ampleforth Abbey, York
> GB - YO6 4EN
> [log in to unmask]
>
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