Avoid it Like the Plague:
The Black Death
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What was the Black Death?
The Black Death is also known as the plague. In the
fourteenth century it spread rapidly across Europe and
caused a massive reduction in population.
People who caught the disease had swellings on their
bodies, sometimes as big as eggs. Then the black
spots would appear, which gave the disease its name.
A medieval description of the plague:
“…emergence of certain tumours in the groin or armpits,
some of which grew as large as a common apple. Black
spots appeared on the arm or the thigh…”
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What was the plague and how did it spread?
There were two forms of the plague that spread through
Europe in the Middle Ages:
Bubonic plague was caused by a bacteria that infected rats.
Fleas bit the rats and become infected. They then hopped
onto humans, bit them and passed on the disease.
Pneumonic plague was also caused by the same bacteria but
was more deadly. It was caught by breathing in the germs when
an infected person coughed or sneezed.
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Symptoms of the plague
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Plague doctor
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What did people believe caused the plague?
Sent by God to punish
them for their sins.
The movements of the
planets.
Were any of these
ideas correct?
Bad smells or bad air.
Over-eating
Being close to infected
people.
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Jewish people poisoned the
drinking water.
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How did the plague get to Europe?
The Black Death travelled along trading routes. It is believed
that Italian traders picked up infected rats/fleas and the
disease in Asia and brought it by ship to Caffa (Europe).
From these infected sailors and rats/fleas, it spread
throughout Europe along trade routes.
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The spread of the plague
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Spread of the Plague in the City
1.
Toilets over the River
Thames.
2.
People fishing in the
polluted river.
3.
Butchers working in the
street.
4.
Food sold in markets on
the filthy streets.
5.
Animals kept in pens on
the streets.
6.
Toilet waste thrown out
of windows.
7.
Open sewers flowing
down the street to the
Thames.
8.
A man urinating against
the wall of a house.
9.
Crowded houses in the
city.
10. Animals pulling carts.
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Medieval Beliefs about the Cause of the Plague
“In the month of August 1348, after the evening sun began
to set, a very bright star appeared above Paris … The star
seemed much nearer the earth than stars usually are … it
seemed to me … that the star stayed in one place … At
last darkness fell. Then to the amazement of all of us, the
star split up into many different rays. It shed these rays
towards the east, over Paris. The star then completely
disappeared.”
Description of the plague reaching France by Jean de
Venette, friar.
What does this source tell you about how people thought
the plague began? Why did many people blame God?
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How did people try to prevent/treat the plague?
It was thought that by bleeding
people, they could get rid of the
bad blood which caused the
plague.
Cutting a live
pigeon in half
and rubbing it
on your boil
Shaving a live
chicken’s
bottom and
attaching it to
the boils
Eating crushed
emeralds
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How did people try to prevent/treat the plague?
Eating
poisonous
arsenic powder
“[Toads] should be placed on
the plague boil. The toad will
swell and draw out the poison
of the plague to its own
body…”
Guy de Chauliac
Throwing nicely-scented herbs
on to the fire to purify the air
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Slicing open
your boil and
burning it with a
red-hot poker
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How did people try to prevent/treat the plague?
People went on religious
pilgrimages to holy sites to
please God
Flagellants were
people who believed
that if they whipped
and hurt themselves,
God would take pity
on them.
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The Outcome of the Black Death
Around 1/3
to 1/2 of
population
Death in Europe
from the Plague in
the 1300-1400s
Around
25 million
people
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How did the Plague change Medieval society?
People remained religious but questioned the
church and its leaders – church became less
powerful
In many areas, villages were
deserted, so there was more good
land for people to grow crops on.
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How did the Plague change Medieval society?
“At Woodeaton there were only two farmers left and they would have
gone away if the abbot had not made a new agreement with them to
reduce their work service…” from the records of Eynsham Abbey,
c.1385.
“As soon as masters accuse their workers of bad work … they
leave quickly and find jobs in new places at higher wages.
Masters dare not upset their workers…” from Introduction to a
Law, 1376.
In many areas, populations were greatly
reduced, so serfs could ask for higher wages,
demand their freedom, and purchase their own
land. Many people moved to the cities.
Feudalism DIED!
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How did the Plague change Medieval society?
As there were fewer people, new technology and
devices were invented to do the work such as grinding
wheat, spinning wool, and copying texts.
e.g. Gutenberg printing press.
Manufacturing increased dramatically.
People began questioning everything as life was not
guaranteed; they no longer accepted authority figures or
their assigned place in life according to their birth...
a rebirth was about to begin!
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Effects of the Black Death
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The End
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