The 14th Century Bubonic Plague

Wikipedia. “SEM of a flea.” Photo. Wikipedia.com 28 Aug. 2005. 29 Sep. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_flea>

1347 – 1353

The rat flea carried the virus

The fleas were carried as parasites on rats

http://www.wadsworth.com/history_d/templates/student_resources/0534600069_spielvogel/InteractiveMaps/swfs/map11_1.html

Click Below for an Interactive Map

Andy85719, “Bubonic Plague –en” May 31, 2008 via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons PD-Art.

Originated: China/Inner Asia

Kipchak Army catapulted infected bodies at enemies

Disease spread along silk trade routes

Delivered to Western Europe through Mediterranean Sea Port

God was punishing humanity for sins

Created by the devil

Cities state of hygiene

Jewish racism accusationsAnti-semitism

Wellcome Library, “Human bones and skulls in a brick-built pit,” via Wellcome Library, Creative Commons by-nc.

Various parts of Europe 2/3 or ¾ of population

¼ total European population25,000,000

Bubonic Plague killed 50-60% of victims

Population in Millions

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

1000

1100

1200

1300

1347

1352

Population in Millions

Year

1. Flee – leave town

1. Let-Loose – lived for the moment

2. Blame – accused others

3. Cure – try to reason out the plague

4. Pray – for forgiveness

5. Quarantine – isolate themselves and others

Psychological:Living for the moment“Eat, drink, and be merry, for

tomorrow you may die.”

Giovanni BoccaccioDecameron

Religious: Flagellants

Paul Fredericq, “The flagellants at Doornik in 1349” Jul 13, 2007via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons PD-Art.

Extreme price increases

High demand for workers

Wage increasesEven peasants

Breakdown of Manorialism

Clipart from Microsoft

Breakdown of Manorialism

Peasant Uprisings• Jacquerie 1358• Peasant’s Revolt of 1381

Weakening of the landlords

City Revolts• Ciompi

Inconnu, Jacquerie repression, Dec 24, 2007 via Wikimedia Commons, PD-Art.

"God is deaf now-a-days and deigneth not hear us, And prayers have no power the Plague to stay.”

— Piers Plowman

Decline of Church powerLack of explanation for the plague

Decline in prayer and faithPraying and God could not end the deaths

Anti-Semitism began after the Black Death

Anti-Semitism uprising

Jewish people wrongly blamedAccused of well poisonings

Slaughter of Jewish communities

Protection for Jews in Poland

Uhuru1701, “Stars of David, Vol. Two.” Feb 15, 2008 via Flicker, Creative Commons Attribution.

Obsession with deathEveryday situations

impacted by death

Commissioned works of artSculptures and paintings

RealismShowed realistic deaths

Arnold Böcklin The PlagueArnold Bocklin, “The Plague (1898)” Nov 27, 2007 via Wikimedia

Commons, Creative Commons PD-Art.

“Dance of Death”

Woodcuts by Hans Holbein the Younger

Commissioned artwork for churches

Showed that death was not bias of status

• Females• Males• Clergy

• Kings• Peasants• Babies

The EmpressThe Pope

The PeddlerThe Old Man

The KnightThe Abbess

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See citations at end of presentation

The plague came on the trade routes

Affected Europe in phases

Devastated population

Caused economic, religious, and social changes

Impacted the arts

Information CitationsBrown University. (n.d.). Decameron Web. Retrieved October 4, 2009,

from www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/plague/ index.shtml

Butler, C. (2007). The Black Death and its Impacts. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/west/10/FC71

Knox, E.L.S. (n.d.). The Middle Ages The Black Death. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from http://www.boisestate.edu/

courses/westciv/plague/

Spielvogel, J. J. (2006). Western Civilization. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education.

Woodcut CitationsHolbein, Hans. The Empress. N.d. The Dance of Death . Martin Hagstrøm , n.d.

Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein10.htm>.

Holbein, Hans. The Peddler. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein37.htm>.

Holbein, Hans. The Knight. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein31.htm>.

Holbein, Hans. The Pope. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein06.htm>.

Holbein, Hans. The Old Man. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein33.htm>.

Holbein, Hans. The Abbess. N.d. The Dance of Death. Martin Hagstrøm , n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. <http://www.dodedans.com/Eholbein15.htm>.