Global Epidemic

• Black Death – Bubonic Plague

• Disease spread by fleas on rats

• Spread from Asia to Europe (trade routes)

• Fleas jumped from rats to infest the clothes and packs of traders

traveling west

The CulpritsThe Culprits

1347: Plague 1347: Plague Reaches Reaches

Constantinople!Constantinople!

Terrible Death

• Unsanitary conditions in towns and homes guaranteed the disease would spread

• Symptoms – swelling, black bruises, heavy sweats, & convulsive

coughing

• People spat blood and stank terribly (rotting flesh)

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!

Warning: Next slide is gross!

The The SymptomsSymptoms

Bulbous

Septicemic Form:

almost 100% mortality rate.

From the From the Toggenburg Toggenburg BibleBible, 1411, 1411

Lancing a BuboeLancing a Buboe

Social Upheaval

• Some people turned to magic and witchcraft for cures

• Some saw the plague as God’s punishment – beat themselves with whips to show repentance for their sins

• Christians blamed Jews for the plague• Decline of church influence – church

could not help them

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

The Mortality

Rate35% - 70%

25,000,000 dead !!!

Economic Results

• Decline in population = scarcity of labor (low production)

• Disruption of trade because disease spread along trade routes

• Low production = high prices (low supply and high demand)

• Scarcity of labor – workers demanded higher wages (fewer workers)

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

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

ThemeTheme

A Little Macabre A Little Macabre DittyDitty“A sickly season,” the

merchant said,“The town I left was filled with dead,and everywhere these queer red fliescrawled upon the corpses’ eyes,eating them away.”

“Fair make you sick,” the merchant said,“They crawled upon the wine and bread.Pale priests with oil and books,bulging eyes and crazy looks,dropping like the flies.”

A Little Macabre A Little Macabre Ditty (2)Ditty (2)“I had to laugh,” the merchant

said,“The doctors purged, and dosed, and bled;“And proved through solemn disputation“The cause lay in some constellation.“Then they began to die.”

“First they sneezed,” the merchant said,“And then they turned the brightest red,Begged for water, then fell back.With bulging eyes and face turned black,they waited for the flies.”

A Little Macabre A Little Macabre Ditty (3)Ditty (3)“I came away,” the

merchant said,“You can’t do business with the dead.“So I’ve come here to ply my trade.“You’ll find this to be a fine brocade…”And then he sneezed…