March - and Ye Olde Internet (Nursery Rhymes) #2

Dear Readers,

We have a little saying in English "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good", meaning that regardless how bad something is, someone, somewhere usually benefits. And so it is with our second medieval tweet.

Ring - a - Ring  o' Rosies

A pocket full of Posies

A- tishoo! A- tishoo!

We all fall down.

Which relates to the Great Plague - The Black Death. 

Now there are sceptics who dispute the attributed meanings of Nursery Rhymes, but then everywhere and in everything in life there is someone or group who will make dispute despite overwhelming evidence, anecdotal or otherwise, to the contrary - take the theory Evolution for instance.

But the evidence in the case of our little rhyme is reasonably compelling.

Symptoms of the plague include rosy red rashes in the shape of a ring on the skin. Pockets, pouches and even long nose face masks were filled with sweet smelling herbs (posies) to ward off the disease. It was thought the disease was spread from person to person by air and bad smells - hence A - tishoo meaning a sneeze. And, "We all fall down" meaning dropping dead. It is recorded that in some instances whole villages were wiped out and estimated overall that perhaps Europe was reduced to half its population at varying stages.

Originating in or near China the disease was transmitted by fleas and spread by the rats who carried the fleas at Sea Ports and along land trade routes. Devastating pandemics flared up and subsided over a thousand year period until the 19th century in various places worldwide at various times.

Which brings us to the beneficiaries mentioned earlier. Who are they? Well, that's us.

Survivors of the disease became immune and their immunity is passed on to offspring so, in a very real sense, we are children of the survivors of the Black Death and it is no longer a threat to us (a very few exceptions accepted).

Furthermore, with such a large proportion of the population substantially reduced (particularly in Europe) labour (working men and women) became scarce and thus more valuable. Higher wages had to be paid and often small parcels of land granted in lieu or in addition. This gave rise to the beginning of a 'middle class' beyond serfdom and peasantry from about the 14th century on and started to shape society to the benefit of ordinary people rather than just the Aristocracy and the Church. This is well illustrated in the book 'World Without End' by Ken Follett.

An elderly parish priest was tending his garden when a passerby stopped to compliment him on his much loved roses.

"Yes", said the priest "they are not bad but suffer from a pest peculiar to this area known as 'The Black Death".

"What on earth is that" asked the passerby, anxious to increase his garden knowledge.

"Nuns with scissors" said the priest.

hugs and kisses

dolltime