The Black Plague World History

Stinger What vocabulary do you need to know in order to understand the map? What is the purpose of the map? What information does the map provide? What patterns exist in the map? Why do these patterns exist? How is the Plague related to the Crusades?

Spread of the Plague Spread by fleas on rats, contact with the ill, etc… How did the Plague affect the ways in which people interacted with each other?

One Description of the Plague Not only all those who had speech with them died, but also those who had touched or used any of their things. When the inhabitants of Messina discovered that this sudden death emanated from the Genoese ships they hurriedly ordered them out of the harbor and town. But the evil remained and caused a fearful outbreak of death. Soon men hated each other so much that if a son was attacked by the disease his father would not tend him. If, in spite of all, he dared to approach him, he was immediately infected and was bound to die within three days. Nor was this all; all those dwelling in the same house with him, even the cats and other domestic animals, followed him in death. As the number of deaths increased in Messina many desired to confess their sins to the priests and to draw up their last will and testament. But ecclesiastics, lawyers and notaries refused to enter the houses of the diseased. - Account from Messina

Another View of the Disease "The mortality in Siena began in May. It was a cruel and horrible thing. . . . It seemed that almost everyone became stupefied seeing the pain. It is impossible for the human tongue to recount the awful truth. Indeed, one who did not see such horribleness can be called blessed. The victims died almost immediately. They would swell beneath the armpits and in the groin, and fall over while talking. Father abandoned child, wife husband, one brother another; for this illness seemed to strike through breath and sight. And so they died. None could be found to bury the dead for money or friendship. Members of a household brought their dead to a ditch as best they could, without priest, without divine offices. In many places in Siena great pits were dug and piled deep with the multitude of dead. And they died by the hundreds, both day and night, and all were thrown in those ditches and covered with earth. And as soon as those ditches were filled, more were dug. I, Agnolo di Tura . . . buried my five children with my own hands. . . . And so many died that all believed it was the end of the world.“ -Agnola di Turo of SIena

A Modern view of the removal of bodies How does Monty Python envision the removal of bodies and the attitudes of people toward the sick?

How to avoid the Plague? Method #1 Method #2 No poultry should be eaten, no waterfowl, no pig, no old beef, altogether no fat meat. . . . It is injurious to sleep during the daytime. . . . Fish should not be eaten, too much exercise may be injurious . . . and nothing should be cooked in rainwater. Olive oil with food is deadly. . . . Bathing is dangerous. . . . Papal report on the Black Death Method #2 In the first instance, no man should think of death. . . . Nothing should distress him, but all his thoughts should be directed to pleasing, agreeable and delicious things. . . . Beautiful landscapes, fine gardens should be visited, particularly when aromatic plants are flowering. . . . Listening to beautiful, melodious songs is wholesome. . . . The contemplating of gold and silver and other precious stones is comforting to the heart. Advice from Italy

A lack of understanding In what ways did people seem to understand how the Bubonic Plague was spread? In what ways did they lack understanding? How did some people’s understanding of the Plague help them prevent infection? How did the lack of understanding of basic medical science increase infection rates?

Religion and the Plague While the plague was still active and spreading from town to town, men in Germany, Flanders, Hainault and Lorraine uprose and began a new sect on their own authority. Stripped to the waist, they gathered in large groups and bands and marched in procession throught the crossroads and squares of cities and good towns. They formed circles and beat upon their backs with weighted scourges, rejoicing as they did so in loud voices and singing hymns suitable to their rite and newly composed for it. Thus, for 33 days they marched through many towns doing penance and affording a great spectacle to the wondering people. They flogged their shoulders and arms, scourged with iron points so zealously as to draw blood.“ Jean de Vennette

More about the Flagellants ...the penitents went about, coming first out of Germany. They were men who did public penance and scourged themselves with whips of hard knotted leather with little iron spikes. Some made themselves bleed very badly between the shoulder blades and some foolish women had cloths ready to catch the blood and smear it on their eyes, saying it was miraculous blood. While they were doing penance, they sang very mournful songs about nativity and the passion of Our Lord. The object of this penance was to put a stop to the mortality, for in that time . . . at least a third of all the people in the world died. Jean Frossart

A Message from God? What role did religion play in the way people interpreted and responded to the Plague?

Effects on Population "During this great epidemic of death [in Tuscany] more than eighty died of every hundred, and the air was so infested that death overtook men everywhere, wherever they might flee. And when they saw everybody dying they no longer heeded death and believed that the end of the world was at hand.“ What effect would such a population loss have on politics? What effect would such a population loss have on economics? What effect would such a population loss have on social structures? What effect would such population loss have on knowledge? What effect would such population loss have on geography?

Write ten facts about the plague. Plague Video Write ten facts about the plague. Make ten inferences about the effects of the plague on European society.

Homework Read Plague Article Answer the following: What were the effects of the plague on European politics? What were the effects of the plague on the European economy? What were the effects of the plague on religion? What were the effects of the plague on social structures? What were the effects of the plague on European knowledge and intellect? What were the geographic effects of the plague?