![]() ![]() Others might speculate that it really has no meaning and it’s just a regular kids rhyme and game. Some say it’s related to the plague, some say that it might actually have pagan roots. ![]() There are a few theories about the origins of this nursery rhyme. The falling down is said to represent death, and everyone “falls down” or dies, because the majority of the European population was wiped out during the time of the plague. “We all fall down” is about the many people who died from the plague. The other is that it’s actually about the burning of the dead bodies from the victims of the plague. The first meaning is that it was meant to mimic a sneezing sound, in reference to being sick. “Ashes, Ashes” is said to have 2 possible meanings. Johannes Ebert and others, Europas Sprung in die Neuzeit, Die große Chronik-Weltgeschichte, 10 (Gütersloh: Wissen Media, 2008), p. The beaks of these masks were filled with flowers and other strong scents like bergamot. Plague doctors are associated with looking quite creepy nowadays, but their masks with large beaks were actually because of this belief that disease was spread through foul smells. It was believed that disease was spread through bad smells, which means that people held bunches of flowers to their faces when going out in public, to protect themselves from bad smells. The plague doctor story full#“Pockets Full of Posies” stems from the lack of knowledge at the time about how diseases spread. These were normally found in the armpits, groin and neck. These red rashes, that were circular, would later develop into large, and very painful black boils on the skin. “Ring around the Rosies” refers to the red rings that started to develop on plague victim's skin. ( It’s important to note that there are some variations in the lyrics depending on geographic location - I’ve chosen to go with the one I grew up with.) Looking at the lyrics to this nursery rhyme will help us to dissect it, and give you some insights into how it’s actually about the plague. ![]() Victims of the plague were also said to have other symptoms before the boils appeared, like fever and chills, seizures, muscle pain, headaches, and the development of red rashes on their bodies. The boils would ooze puss and bleed if they were opened. There are three types of plagues, but the Black Death was the Bubonic plague, with symptoms such as large black boils in the groin, the neck and armpits. This was the time where many goods were brought along the silk road - and apparently also the spread of disease! The plague was said to have come from the fleas off the backs of the infected rats that were brought on ships to the European harbours from Central Asia. The last major outbreak of the bubonic plague in England. ![]()
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