The Black Death
Bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic Plague in the Fourteenth Century
The Black Death is the collective name for three types of plague which hit Europe in the mid-fourteenth century. It spread through Europe at a rate of up to three kilometres a day. Rich and poor alike were affected and the after-effects of the huge drop in population were felt for decades afterwards.
Bubonic, Pneumonic and Septicemic Plague
Plague outbreaks were not unusual in medieval society. Records have shown that a variation of the plague would affect Europe in almost every generation. Usually, one in ten people would die. But the Great Plague of 1347-1350 was different; the plague had three deadly variations at once, making it more likely each person would succumb at some point.
Bubonic plague was the most widespread plague varation and is the most well known It was characterised by large swellings in the groins or armpits. Victims would usually die within days of the swellings appearing and would turn black before they died – hence the name black death.
Pneumonic plague was an infection of the lungs, and in this illness, the victim would cough up blood, further spreading the contamination through the air. Septicemic plague was a disease of the bloodstream, and killed quickly, as the poison spread rapidly around the victim’s body.
The Black Death in Fourteenth Century Europe
The Black Death began in Europe in 1347 and is believed to have started in Sicily, following the arrival of trade ships from the Far East. The plague spread across Italy, through France, Spain and Portugal, reaching England in 1348. The spread then continued to Germany, Scandinavia and on to Russia.
Word of the disease spread quickly, via merchants and travellers. Most people knew about the horrors in store months before the disease actually reached their own area. Many people turned to religion, fasting and praying. Others turned against religion and drank, ate and celebrated, trying to enjoy what might be their last days on earth.
Effects of the Plague in Medieval Europe
The years leading up to the plague had been difficult ones, with a cooling in average temperatures and a succession of poor harvests. This meant that when illness came, most people’s physical and economic reserves were low.
As word of the disease spread, some settlements attempted to isolate their inhabitants and refuse all visitors, in an attempt to avoid the disease. However, this was a futile effort in most cases. Various rumors spread about how a person could contract the disease. Some believed that meeting the eyes of a plague victim was a sure way to catch the plague. Others thought that the disease was spread through the air, through coughs and vapors, or along waterways.
The physical results of the Black Death were very visible. In some communities, piles of corpses were left unburied, either because people were afraid to deal with the bodies for fear of becoming infected, or because of a lack of resources in a decimated community. In the months following the plague, harvests were left ungathered and animals wandered without owners.
In an attempt to quell the fears of a panicking population, Pope Clement VI was forced to announce that anyone who died of the plague was automatically absolved of their sins. Many plague victims were unable to receive the last rites of the Christian church due to a shortage of priests and the volume of plague victims who needed attention.
The Aftermath of the Black Death
It is impossible to generalise the outcome of the plague, as all communities were affected differently. However, there was a trend of people who had previously been tied workers, becoming free to farm their own estates, due to an excess of free land caused by high death rates. Food prices rose and agricultural workers were able to demand higher wages and benefits for their services, with a consequential rise in their standard of living.
Source
Hatcher, John The Black Death: A Personal History [Da Capo Press, 2008]
