1. MAGNA CARTA (1215) “GREAT CHARTER” KING JOHN OF ENGLAND Forced to limit powers by Nobles

2. The Black Death

3. The Culprits

4. The Famine of
By 1300 Europeans were farming almost all the land they could cultivate.
A population crisis developed.
Climate changes in Europe produced three years of crop failures between because of excessive rain.
As many as 15% of the peasants in some English villages died.
One consequence of starvation & poverty was susceptibility to disease.

5. 1347: Plague Reaches Constantinople!

7. Septicemic Form: almost 100% mortality rate.
The Symptoms
Bulbous
Septicemic Form: almost 100% mortality rate.

8. From the Toggenburg Bible, 1411

9. Lancing a Buboe

10. The Disease Cycle Human is infected!
Flea drinks rat blood that carries the bacteria.
Bacteria
multiply in
flea’s gut.
Human is infected!
Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into human wound.
Flea’s gut clogged with bacteria.

11. Medieval Art & the Plague

12. Medieval Art & the Plague
Bring out your dead!

13. Medieval Art & the Plague An obsession with death.

14. Boccaccio in The Decameron
The victims ate lunch with their friends and dinner with their ancestors.

15. The Danse Macabre

16. Attempts to Stop the Plague
“Leeching”
A Doctor’s Robe

17. Attempts to Stop the Plague
Flagellanti: Self-inflicted “penance” for our sins!

18. Attempts to Stop the Plague
Pograms against the Jews
“Golden Circle” obligatory badge
“Jew” hat

19. Death Triumphant !: A Major Artistic Theme

20. Ring a Ring o’ Roses “A ring a ring o’ roses, A pocket full o’ posies,
Ashes – ashes, we all fall down.”

21. Ring a Ring o’ Roses - Meaning
People with plague would hang roses around their heads.
They would stuff their pockets with posies.
They burned the bodies so the disease did not spread.
We all fall down (dead).

23. The Mortality Rate
35% - 70% of Europe and Asia
50-75 Million dead !!!