Ms. Susan M. Pojermodified by D. Brady

The CulpritsThe Culprits

The Famine of The Famine of 1315-13171315-1317 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 1315-17 because of excessive rain.

As many as 15% of the peasants in some English villages died.

One consequence ofstarvation & povertywas susceptibility todisease.

1347: Plague 1347: Plague Reaches Reaches

Constantinople!Constantinople!

The The SymptomsSymptoms

Bulbous

Septicemic Form:

almost 100% mortality rate.

From the From the Toggenburg Toggenburg BibleBible, 1411, 1411

Lancing a BuboeLancing a Buboe

The Disease The Disease CycleCycle

Flea drinks rat blood that carries the

bacteria.

Flea drinks rat blood that carries the

bacteria.

Flea’s gut cloggedwith bacteria.

Flea’s gut cloggedwith bacteria.

Bacteriamultiply inflea’s gut.

Bacteriamultiply inflea’s gut.

Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into human wound.

Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into human wound.

Human is infected!Human is infected!

Medieval Art & the Medieval Art & the PlaguePlague

Medieval Art & the Medieval Art & the PlaguePlague

Bring out your dead!

Medieval Art & the Medieval Art & the PlaguePlague

An obsession with death.

Boccaccio in Boccaccio in The The DecameronDecameron

Boccaccio in Boccaccio in The The DecameronDecameron

The victims ate lunch with their friends and

dinner with their ancestors.

The The Danse Danse MacabreMacabre

Attempts to Stop the Attempts to Stop the PlaguePlague

A Doctor’s Robe

“Leeching”

Attempts to Stop the Attempts to Stop the PlaguePlague

Flagellanti:Self-inflicted “penance” for our

sins!

Attempts to Stop the Attempts to Stop the PlaguePlaguePograms against the

Jews

“Jew” hat

“Golden Circle” obligatory badge

Death Triumphant !:Death Triumphant !:A Major Artistic A Major Artistic

ThemeTheme

The Mortality

Rate35% - 70%

25,000,000 dead !!!

• SIGNIFICANCE of the Black Death?• In the short term people became more fearful of the wrath of

God but over time some looked for logical answers to explain the disease while others became resentful of what they deemed a vengeful God – though people certainly did not lose “Faith in God” in the way that we use this term today.

• In the short term the population decline led to an increase in prices as labour costs went up and people retreated back to the countryside as people temporarily fled the cities where diseases were more rampant and guilds jealously guarded their newfound wage demanding power. Over time though this empowered the peasants as they become more aware of their necessity in the economy. The resulting wage increase led to later rises in standards of living.