Fact to Fiction
How authors are
inspired by true
events
It is estimated that
anywhere from
1/4
to 2/3
of Europe’s population
was wiped out by the
Black Death.
Around
4,200,000
people died
in England alone.
The disease killed quickly.
It was said that the victim would have breakfast with his children….
… and dinner with his
ancestors.
The Black Plague
was
caused by bacteria
transmitted by fleas
on rats.
A sign in Weymouth
Harbor, England
The rats stowed away on ships
and spread the disease.
Ship routes show the spread of the disease.
At the time, no one knew what caused the
Black Death….
…and no one knew
how to cure it.
Those who could, including
politicians, lawyers, doctors
and the wealthy,
fled the city.
King Charles II
(who was
nicknamed “The
Merry Monarch”)
and his courtiers
left London to
escape the
plague.
Doctors thought they
could
protect themselves
from
catching the plague
by
dressing in heavy
robes and
wearing a coneshaped masks
filled with herbs and
spices.
"Doktor Schnabel von Rom" ("Doctor Beak from Rome") engraving, Rome 1656.
Burning of Jews during the Black
Death- 1349
A History of the Jewish People by H.H. Ben-Sasson, ed. (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1976) p.564-565
Burning of Jews during the Black Death- 1493
Liber Chronicarum / Die Schedelsche Weltchronik by Hartmann Schedel
Danse Macabre
Dansa
de la
Mort
Totentanz
Danza de la Muerte
The Dance Macabre is an allegory
of death as the ultimate equalizer.
Emperor, your sword won’t help you out
Sceptre and crown are worthless here
I’ve taken you by the hand
For you must come to my dance
An excerpt from a German “Totentanz” Poem (1490)
“Triumph of Death”
by Pieter Bruegel - 1562
Edgar Allan Poe
The Sad, Short Life of Edgar Allan Poe
1829- Mrs. Allan dies
1809- Edgar
Of Tuberculosis.
Poe Is born
In Boston, Mass. Poe joins the army at
West Point.
1835- Poe finally
gets his first
1823- Poe is 14, at
writing job.
William Burke Academy,
He marries his
succeeding in athletics.
13 year old cousin.
1826- Poe attends
University of Virginia.
Runs out of money,
Drops out.
1811- Poe’s father
abandons them.
1831- Poe purposely
His mother dies of
gets kicked out of
Tuberculosis.
West Point.
He is informally
adopted by the Allans.
1842- Poe writes
“The Masque of
the Red Death”
1849Poe dies.
1841- Poe writes
the first detective
novel, “The Murders
In the Rue Morgue”
1847- Poe’s wife dies
of Tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis (also called TB or
consumption) is caused by
bacteria that is transmitted
through coughing and sneezing,
or even speaking.
It usually becomes a lung
infection, damaging the tissue of
the lungs and causing internal
bleeding.
Victims will often cough up
blood.
Even today, untreated active TB
is fatal of 50% of the time.