Ring around the rosy

Posted by Victoria S Dennis October 07, 2009 at 21:42In reply to Ring around the rosy posted by Rachel on October 07, 2009 at 18:55:

I was just reading your writing on "ring around the rosy" and for some reason I alway thought the origins of it were refering to praying the rosary. Is that possible?

No. There are dozens of versions of this rhyme in English and other European folklore, and they speak of a "ring-o'roses" (the standard modern British version), "a rose tree all in bloom", "a rose garland", "an elder bush", "the Jingo Ring", "ring a ring around", and any number of others. You can't get "telling one's beads out of that. (Nor can you get the Black Death out of it - that's another myth.) (VSD)