The 14th Century Bubonic Plague
"THE BLACK DEATH"
Jessica FettEDU 290 – T/TH 12:30
SPREAD OF THE PLAGUE
Wikipedia. “SEM of a flea.” Photo. Wikipedia.com 28 Aug. 2005. 29 Sep. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_flea>
1347 – 1353
The rat flea carried the virus
The fleas were carried as parasites on rats
http://www.wadsworth.com/history_d/templates/student_resources/0534600069_spielvogel/InteractiveMaps/swfs/map11_1.html
Click Below for an Interactive Map
Andy85719, “Bubonic Plague –en” May 31, 2008 via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons PD-Art.
SPREAD OF THE PLAGUE
Originated: China/Inner Asia
Kipchak Army catapulted infected bodies at enemies
Disease spread along silk trade routes
Delivered to Western Europe through Mediterranean Sea Port
BELIEVED CAUSESGod was punishing humanity for sins
Created by the devil
Cities state of hygiene
Jewish racism accusationsAnti-semitism
INFECTION & DEATH STATISTICS
Wellcome Library, “Human bones and skulls in a brick-built pit,” via Wellcome Library, Creative Commons by-nc.
Various parts of Europe 2/3 or ¾ of population
¼ total European population25,000,000
Bubonic Plague killed 50-60% of victims
Population in Millions
POPULATION DROP DURINGTHE BLACK DEATH
1000
1100
1200
1300
1347
1352
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Population in Millions
Year
REACTIONS1. Flee – leave town
2. Let-Loose – lived for the moment
3. Blame – accused others
4. Cure – try to reason out the plague
5. Pray – for forgiveness
6. Quarantine – isolate themselves and others
REACTIONSPsychological:Living for the moment
“Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may die.”
Giovanni BoccaccioDecameron
Religious: Flagellants
Paul Fredericq, “The flagellants at Doornik in 1349” Jul 13, 2007 via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons PD-Art.
ECONOMICAL CONSEQUENCESExtreme price increases
High demand for workers
Wage increasesEven peasants
Breakdown of Manorialism
Clipart from Microsoft
SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES
Breakdown of Manorialism
Peasant Uprisings• Jacquerie 1358• Peasant’s Revolt of 1381
Weakening of the landlords
City Revolts• Ciompi
Inconnu, Jacquerie repression, Dec 24, 2007 via Wikimedia Commons, PD-Art.
RELIGIOUS CONSEQUENCES"God is deaf now-a-days and deigneth not hear us, And prayers have no power the Plague to stay.”
— Piers Plowman
Decline of Church powerLack of explanation for the plague
Decline in prayer and faithPraying and God could not end the deaths
Anti-Semitism began after the Black Death
SCAPEGOATSAnti-Semitism uprising
Jewish people wrongly blamedAccused of well poisonings
Slaughter of Jewish communities
Protection for Jews in Poland
Uhuru1701, “Stars of David, Vol. Two.” Feb 15, 2008 via Flicker, Creative Commons Attribution.
IMPACT ON THE ARTS
Obsession with deathEveryday situations
impacted by death
Commissioned works of artSculptures and paintings
RealismShowed realistic deaths
Arnold Böcklin The PlagueArnold Bocklin, “The Plague (1898)” Nov 27, 2007 via Wikimedia
Commons, Creative Commons PD-Art.
DANSE MACABRE'“Dance of Death”
Woodcuts by Hans Holbein the Younger
Commissioned artwork for churches
Showed that death was not bias of status
• Females• Males• Clergy
• Kings• Peasants• Babies
The EmpressThe Pope
The PeddlerThe Old Man
The KnightThe Abbess
Han
s H
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in th
e Yo
unge
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Woo
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Exa
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es
See citations at end of presentation
RECAP The plague came on the trade routes
Affected Europe in phases
Devastated population
Caused economic, religious, and social changes
Impacted the arts
Information CitationsBrown University. (n.d.). Decameron Web. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/ plague/ index.shtml
Butler, C. (2007). The Black Death and its Impacts. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/west/10/FC71
Knox, E.L.S. (n.d.). The Middle Ages The Black Death. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from
http://www.boisestate.edu/ courses/westciv/plague/
Spielvogel, J. J. (2006). Western Civilization. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education.
Woodcut CitationsHolbein, Hans. The Empress. N.d. The Dance of Death . Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein10.htm>.
Holbein, Hans. The Peddler. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein37.htm>.
Holbein, Hans. The Knight. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein31.htm>.
Holbein, Hans. The Pope. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein06.htm>.
Holbein, Hans. The Old Man. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein33.htm>.
Holbein, Hans. The Abbess. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein15.htm>.