Ring Around the Rosie Meaning

Ring around the rosey,
A pocketful of posies.
ashes, ashes.
We all fall down.

or

Ring around a rosey,
A pocket full of posey
Husha, husha
We all fall down!.

I am sure everyone of us must have joined hands together with our friends and turned around in circles singing this popular nursery rhyme. Ring a Ring o' Roses or Ring Around the Rosie is an old folksong and playground singing game. Children have been singing Ring Around the Rosie since 1881.Have you ever thought what could be the hidden Ring Around the Rosie meaning? What is a Ring Around the Rosie and who thought of it first? Let us see the answers in the following paragraphs.

Traditional Meaning of Ring Around the Rosie
Many people believe that Ring Around the Rosie first originated after the horrifying experiences of people with the bubonic plague. Some say it is in reference to the Great Plague of London in 1665.

Ring Around the Roise meaning was in reference to the circular rose colored rash seen on the skin of those who were infected by the bubonic plague. A Pocket Full of Posies was in reference to the sweet herbs that were collected in pockets or pouches. These herbs were carried around to prevent the disease, as the people believed it was transferred by bad smells. Thus, posies helped ward off evil and protect one against infections.

Ashes, ashes/ We all fall down refers directly to death. These ashes were direct indication of the dead who were cremated. It was seen that 60% of the population was wiped off by the bubonic plague infections. It was the Great Fire of London in 1666 that burned out all the rats to ashes that were carriers of the plague.

Other Translations of Ring Around the Rosie
There are a few other explanations related to the Ring Around the Rosie. Pocket Full of Posies may have been in reference with:

• A way to mask off the 'stench of death'.
• It was an item that was usually buried with the dead person.
• It could also mean flowers that were kept on a grave or funeral pyre.
• It could have been related to the pus or infection under the skin in the sores of the infected people.

The interpretation of ashes may have similar multiple meanings:

• It may represent sneezing sounds of infected victims as in some versions of the song it is sung as 'ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo'.
• It may refer to burning down of the houses of plague victims to prevent spread of disease.
• It may refer to the black discoloration of the victim's skin that lead to the derivation of the term 'the black Plague'.

Different Interpretation of Ring Around the Rosie

Apart from the Black Plague version, Ring Around the Roise may have a different explanation. It is said that during the 19th century, the Protestants in Britain and North America had put a religious ban on dancing. However, many young bloods in United States came up with a way around the dancing ban by coming up with 'play party'. This play party consisted of ring games. They were different from square dances as there was no music accompanying the ring dance. These play parties became very popular and soon young children too got hooked to it. Thus, children began to form rings and sang along 'Ring-a-ring-a-roses' . The term 'Ashes, ashes' may have come from the words, 'Husha, Husha' that indicated stopping the ring and becoming silent. We all fall down referred to that part of the song where the children let go of their hands and fell over each other in the center of the circle for fun.

As you will see, there are no particular or specific meanings attached to the Ring Around the Roise. The nursery rhyme was printed for the first time in 1818 in Kate Greenaway's Mother Goose edition. There are many versions of the song around the world. So, in the end, there is no specific Ring Around the Rosie meaning apart from tales from the bubonic plaque. Just join your hands with your children and form a circle and enjoy falling down singing:

Ring-a Ring-a roses,
Pocket full of poses.
Husha, Busha.
We all fall down.