The black plague has had a prominent effect on the art and pop culture of the world around it during its time, and also during ours. It is believed that the popular children’s song, Ring Around the Rosie, is about the Black Plague. The rosy rash to which the song alludes was a symptom of the plague: buboes. The same can be said of sneezing or coughing, which is in one line of the British version of the song. Regardless of the truth of this speculation, countless different forms of Ring Around the Rosie have since been used elsewhere to make oblique references to the plague and its severity. Many scholars believe that this is especially true due to the fact that most of the songs are very pleasant-sounding despite their lyrics. The plague also affected the art of the time. Because there were no cameras or other methods of image documentation, art and paintings were the only way to create lasting images of the plague. Many paintings depicting this tragedy emerged from this era. But the plague’s effect on pop culture and modern art did not end with its decline in the 1600s. During the massive outbreak of plague in the 1300s, doctors who treated patients of the plague often wore large masks made out of leather with beak-shaped protrusions. These were filled with herbs and flowers to protect themselves from the disease and the rotting smell that accompanied it. These masks were surprisingly effective at keeping the doctors safe from the disease. In addition to the masks, doctors wore long cloaks to ensure that they were fully covered so as to decrease their chances of getting infected. Today, these outfits have become popular again, and are used as a common Halloween costume instead of as functional medical equipment.