What is it? It's a disease caused by bacteria that can be spread by flea bites or be airborne. It causes the lymph nodes to swell, creating large swollen bumps on the neck, armpits, and inner thighs. Headaches, chills, and fevers would also be present. Death would follow. The bacteria was discovered by Alexandre Yersin in 1894. The Plague is also known as Bubonic, named after the swelling of the nodes, or buboes, and the more contagious Pneumonic, being spread through water droplets in the air.
When did it appear in Europe? It first appeared in October of 1347 on ships that docked in a Sicilian port. They had been traveling from the East. People gathered as the ships came in and they found that most people on the ships were dead, and those that were alive were gravely ill. The men were covered in black boils, giving the illness the name "black death." The authorities ordered the ships out of the harbor, but it was too late. For the next 5 years the plague would kill almost 1/3 of the European population or almost 20 million people.
What did the people think Black Death was? Some believed it was punishment from God. They thought it was for heresy (belief contrary to Christianity), blasphemy (actions or speech against God), greed, and worldliness. One group of men would travel from town to town and beat themselves with stripes. This continued for 33 days until the Pope put an end to it, feeling that his authority was being usurped. Several thousand Jews were also massacred in a misguided effort to remove heretics from cities.
When someone dies from the plague, they believed that the sick spirit would leave the person through their eyes and infect a healthy person who was looking at them.
The living infected people would begin to stink from their flesh rotting and infection and people believed that herbs and incense could keep healthy people from contracting the plague by keeping the foul smell away.
When someone dies from the plague, they believed that the sick spirit would leave the person through their eyes and infect a healthy person who was looking at them.
The living infected people would begin to stink from their flesh rotting and infection and people believed that herbs and incense could keep healthy people from contracting the plague by keeping the foul smell away.
What were Plague Doctors? A plague doctor was a physician that would visit those who were infected with the plague. Starting during the Plague of 1656, the doctors wore a unique costume of a bird-like mask made of leather, eye glasses or goggles of sorts, a leather wide brimmed hat, a heavy cloak with leather gloves and boots.
The doctor would put strong smelling herbs and spices in the beak of his mask, as they thought the infection was spread by bad air.
Plague Doctors would try crude techniques as blood-letting and boil lancing in effort to heal the sick.
Who is the Pied Piper? The Pied Piper is a man who wore a multi-colored costume (pied) and entered the rat infested town of Hamelin and promised to rid the town of rats. The governor of the town promised to pay the piper a good sum after he took care of the rats but then refused to pay once the rats were gone. The Piper then took the children as payment and led them to a magical land. This tale is based on true events, but it is debated what the actual events were. Some claim it is telling the story of the Plague in the town of Hamelin and that the Piper is the illness that took all the children. To read the full poem, visit The Pied Piper.
What role did cats play in Black Death? The plague was spread by fleas that would live on black rats.The flea would bite the rat and the infected rat would die and the flea would move to a new host, sometimes humans. Sanitation was very poor in the medieval centuries, and people and rats lived side by side. The fleas would bite the people, infecting them with the Plague. Some believe that the cat extermination after Pope Gregory IX's Vox in Rama in his effort to rid the church of witchcraft and the supposed satanic cat (especially the black cat) aided in the spread of the plague by greatly reducing the number of cats found in Europe. Cats were the number one predator of the rats.
Did the London Fire of 1666 help destroy the Plague? In September 1666 a great fire burned through London destroying up to 80% of London's buildings. The fire took very few lives, though the numbers are disputed, but it had significant effect on killing the rats that carried the Plague and the country saw a decline in incidences.
When was the last known outbreak of the Plague? Justinian Plague: 541 AD (two hundred years - killed +25 million)
Black Death: 1347 (about 5 years, continued off and on for decades - killed minimum of 20 million)
Modern Plague: 1860's (about 50 years - killed about 50 million)
Recent: 1960's-70's Vietnam and is now found in Africa and Madagascar 2006 (Congo - +50 killed)
See CDC's Plague history
Black Death: 1347 (about 5 years, continued off and on for decades - killed minimum of 20 million)
Modern Plague: 1860's (about 50 years - killed about 50 million)
Recent: 1960's-70's Vietnam and is now found in Africa and Madagascar 2006 (Congo - +50 killed)
See CDC's Plague history