following: • "And many lands and cities were made desolate. And the plague lasted until __________"
He had intended to write the date in when
the plague ended. He died of plague before he could fill in the blank. From Agnolo di Tura, of Siena • "The mortality in Siena began in May. It was a cruel and horrible thing. . . . It seemed that almost everyone became stupefied seeing the pain. It is impossible for the human tongue to recount the awful truth. Indeed, one who did not see such horribleness can be called blessed. The victims died almost immediately. They would swell beneath the armpits and in the groin, and fall over while talking. Father abandoned child, wife husband, one brother another; for this illness seemed to strike through breath and sight. And so they died. None could be found to bury the dead for money or friendship. Members of a household brought their dead to a ditch as best they could, without priest, without divine offices. In many places in Siena great pits were dug and piled deep with the multitude of dead. And they died by the hundreds, both day and night, and all were thrown in those ditches and covered with earth. And as soon as those ditches were filled, more were dug. I, Agnolo di Tura . . . buried my five children with my own hands. . . . And so many died that all believed it was the end of the world." Key questions There are 3 questions that will be asked during the course of the powerpoint; 1. What is the “Black Death”? 2. What caused the Black Death? 3. What were the consequences? The plague arrives • Historians think that the plague arrived in England during the summer of 1348. During the following autumn it spread quickly through the south west. Few villages escaped. Churchyards were full with bodies. • The plague spread quickly during the winter of 1348- 1349 to the north of England. By 1350, nearly the whole of Britain was infected with the plague. • Because trading between towns was high, spreading of the plague along trade routes was high • At the end of 1350 nearly two and a half million people were dead! Where did the Black Death come from? Bring out your Dead! What were the symptoms of the plague? What caused the plague? The question that you are probably thinking is this; Q: Who or what caused the Black Death?
A: This is your answer!
The Oriental Rat Flea!
How was the plague transmitted? We now know that the most common form of the Black Death was the BUBONIC PLAGUE! This disease was spread by fleas which lived on the black rat. The fleas sucked the rat’s blood which contained the plague germs. When the rat died the fleas jumped on to humans and passed on the deadly disease. What was the plague cycle? What were the symptoms? • high fever • aching limbs • vomiting of blood. • swelling of the lymph nodes. These glands can be found in the neck, armpits and groin. The swelling protrudes and is easily visible; its blackish coloring gives the disease its name: the Black Death. • The swellings continue to expand until they eventually burst, with death following soon after. Were there Cures? • Medieval people did not know about germs causing disease. • They did not understand that plague was spread by rats and fleas. They thought that people’s bodies were poisoned. • There were attempts at cures, but none of them worked. They were not related to actual science. Medieval cure number 1 The swellings should be softened with figs and cooked onions. The onions should be mixed with yeast and butter. Then open the swellings with a knife. Medieval cure number 2 Take a live frog and put its belly on the plague sore. The frog will swell up and burst. Keep doing this with further frogs until they stop bursting. Some people say that a dried toad will do the job better. Question
How useful do you think these medieval
cures actually were? Did they help at all or were they more harmful? What were the cultural effects of the Plague?
• 1/3rd to ½ of all people in Europe Died in 3 years
• The vast majority of those who were dead were peasants • Lots of clergy and religious died since they were helping the sick (hospitals) • Many people doubted the power of the church • Many people thought the plague came because of Europe’s sin. • End of Feudalism! What were the cultural effects of the Plague? Monks disfigured by plague
