he rhyme as we know it does not date from the plague years(4).The third interesting variation of this rhyme states that it is based on a Hindu worship rite. Richard Stoney has researched mythology for years and is certain that the origins of "Ring Around the Rosie" lies in the mythology of the Hindu god Shiva, who is the god of destruction. There is a dance that is used to re-energize life and the cosmos, and these represent the inseparability between life and death, and therefore, reincarnation. He interprets the first line of the rhyme as the ring of roses around another ring of roses, which is essential in the ritual "Twilight Dance." The ashes referred to are from the great fires at the ritual. The Hindu's also believe that because when children play this game they continually get up and sing the rhyme over and over after they fall down "dead," this they think is proof that the rhyme is talking about Hindu concepts of reincarnation. Hindu's readily believe that fun rhymes like this are reasons for celebration of life full of actions that are enticing to kids. They don't think that a rhyme for children could come from such a dreary event such as a plague (Stoney pars.7-8). The popular rhyme "Jack and Jill" also has controversial views, but not as heated as the "Ring Around the Rosie" rhyme. The evolved rhyme as we have heard it for years in school goes like this: Jack and Jill went up the hillTo fetch a pail of water.Jack fell down and broke his crownAnd Jill came tumbling after.Charlotte Foltz Jones reports that according to several different sources, there was no girl names Jill in the original version of this rhyme. The rhyme was about two boys - Jack and Gill - who in real life were Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and Bishop Tarbes. Wolswy and Tarbes served England's King Henry VIII (1491-1547). In 1518, Wolsey and Tarves tried to settle a feud between France and the Holy Roman Empire. They failed, and war broke out. Wolsey c...
