Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-jon!moroney From: moroney@jon.DEC Newsgroups: net.misc,net.nlang Subject: Ring around the rosie... Message-ID: <3928@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Tue, 16-Oct-84 13:13:26 EDT Article-I.D.: decwrl.3928 Posted: Tue Oct 16 13:13:26 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 17-Oct-84 08:41:00 EDT Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: DEC Engineering Network Lines: 27 >> scc!steiny Don Steiny - Personetics @ (408) 425-0382 >> >> ...The darling ryhme: >> >> Ring around the rosie >> Pockets full of Posies. >> Ashes, ashes, all fall down. >> >> Is a reference to the bubonic plauge. The plauge caused red circles to >> appear on the skin. Posies were considered a charm to ward off the >> plauge, and victims were burned to ashes. >I heard that the "ashes" were in reference to making a mark on the >forehead with ashes, another charm to ward off the Plague. (Certainly >they would have had a lot of human ashes, though). >-- >Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!gam "Ashes" is an imitation of the sound of a person with the plague sneezing and coughing before he died "We all fall down". The modern equivalent is "AAA-CHOO". Sorry, I can't provide any references (or guarantee it is 100% correct) since I learned this in ~6th grade. Mike Moroney ..!decwrl!rhea!jon!moroney