2 Answers

The black plague was a plague that took place in Europe in the 14th century. It was caused by a bacterium which is transmitted to humans from rats that were infected with rat fleas. The victims of the plague had suffered from high fever, weekness, and the formation of buboes, which are inflammations and swellings of lymph nodes, which usually appears in armpits and groins. They also suffered from bleedings beneath their skin which made their bodies appear black. The disease led to gangrene (death of tisues) of fingers, toes, and nose.

Ring-a-ring-a-roses, A pocket full of posies; Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down.

The rhyme has often been associated with the Great Plague which happened in England.