Ring a Ring o' Roses

"Ring a Ring o' Roses"
Melodies for "Ring a Ring o' Roses", from Alice Gomme's 1898 work.
Nursery rhyme
Published1881
Audio samples

"Ring a Ring o' Roses", also known as "Ring a Ring o' Rosie" or "Ring Around the Rosie", is a nursery rhyme, folk song, and playground game. Descriptions first appeared in the mid-19th century, though it is reported to date from decades earlier. Similar rhymes are known across Europe, with varying lyrics. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 7925.

The origin of the song is unknown, and there is no evidence supporting the popular 20th-century interpretation linking it to the Great Plague or earlier outbreaks of bubonic plague in England.