Man and woman 

Why was there a plague in Europe? Plague! How the Black Death prepared Europe for the rise of the Renaissance. Origin of the name smallpox

The topic of this article is very broad and controversial. This phenomenon can certainly become the main competitor of the Second World War for the title of the most effective cleanser of the human gene pool in history. So - the plague.

First, we need to talk about the general plague clinic. For some reason, it is still extremely common that the plague is transmitted only through the bites of infected fleas. But in general, this applies only to the local form of plague, and the inflammatory or septic form is also transmitted by airborne droplets and by contact.

How the plague appeared

The plague originated in the Gobi Desert in the distant steppes of Kazakhstan, essentially due to accident. The plague virus penetrated from single-celled organisms into the soil and into plants, and from there inevitably into steppe rodents. The first plague pandemic began in the second half of the 6th century and was named after the greatest ruler of his time, who died from it - the Justinian plague. It began in Byzantine Egypt. Historical sources claim that it killed about 100 million people throughout the empire and about 25 million people in Europe. In general, this epidemic reached Britain itself. In this regard, there is an assumption that she was one of the factors that made it easier for the Saxons to conquer England. In addition, the Justinian plague was one of the reasons why Byzantium had to stop its conquests in the east.

Around this time, the Christian Church celebrates its final victory over common sense. The fact is that before the split of the church, so-called Ecumenical Councils took place, something like the modern G20 congress. Basically, they resolved subtle issues regarding church law. It was then that all sorts of prohibitions appeared on normal hygiene and, of course, on close contacts with Jews.

Black Death in Western Europe

Now let's move to the 14th century. It is this era that appears before the mind’s eye of most of us when we pronounce the phrase “black in Europe.” The peak of the pandemic occurred in 1346-1352, killing (again) 25 million people. Which accounted for a third of the total population of Europe. But don’t think that everything worked out only in Europe. Also, don’t think that it was the only global catastrophe at that time. Here, for example, is a short digest of disasters of the 14th century.

  • The famous 100 Years' War is going on between England and France.
  • In Italy, there is a rather fierce squabble between the Guelfi and the Gebellines - supporters of the Pope and the German Emperor.
  • The Tatar-Mongol yoke is established in Rus'
  • In Spain, the reconquista, feudal wars and wars are in full swing.

Well, besides political hell, there was also climatic hell:

  • There was an expansion of the steppe zones, due to which the number of carriers of the infection increased.
  • There was less food. Almost the entire previous (XIII) century was characterized by severe droughts.
  • In Greenland, Viking settlements are almost completely disappearing due to growing ice.
  • The so-called “Little Ice Age” begins.
  • Frequent and strong earthquakes occur in the Himalayas
  • Many volcanoes are active in India
  • In Rus' in the 14th century there were drought years, rodent invasions and famine.
  • In China, in the 30-40s of the 14th century, powerful seismic activity began, leading to the collapse of some mountain ranges and to very strong floods and, accordingly, to famine. In one of these floods alone, which hit the capital of the middle kingdom, about 400,000 people died.
  • You can also recall the eruption of Etna in 1333 and the subsequent increase in humidity, as a result of which many cities in Western Europe were flooded due to heavy rains.
  • Several large locust outbreaks have occurred in Germany
  • Across Europe, there has been an increase in wild animal attacks due to hunger.
  • Very cold winters and a major flood in 1354, which literally devastated the shores of the North Sea.
  • It was also noted that the plague epidemic was preceded by an extremely widespread spread of smallpox and leprosy, and the 14th century was no exception.

As you can see, the plague was not the only problem of that era. In addition, outbreaks of mass mental illness occurred everywhere. By the way, there is one very interesting hypothesis on this matter.

Mass insanity and psychotropic substances

American researcher Shane Rogers and his team decided to explore the most popular spots on the planet among ghost seekers. Not even just points, but so-called haunted houses, and in many places they discovered the presence of dangerous mold that can cause a psychotropic effect. This is where the idea arose that psychotropic substances could be a strong enough catalyst for the formation of ideas about the supernatural. These same researchers also thought that agricultural technology was only able to get rid of ergot living on cereals (it was from ergot that Albert Hofmann synthesized the famous one) only relatively recently. Consequently, ergot poisoning among peasants in the Middle Ages was a fairly common occurrence, and this can explain ergotism and mass crazy dancing and much more. This hypothesis has its own logical holes and its own logical patches that close these holes, so whether to believe it or not is ultimately up to you to decide.

Again about the plague

But let's get back to the plague. Ineffective medicine and an almost complete lack of hygiene, encouraged by the Catholic Church, became the main factors in the rapid spread of the plague. Although in the Orthodox tradition there is a strange habit of kissing the same icon during mass epidemics.

In addition, sometimes the very fact of infection was covered up for various reasons and they learned about the already raging epidemic only after several deaths. Once in Ovignon they learned about the plague only when 700 monks died in one monastery in one night.

There is also a “wonderful story” about Khan Janibek, or more precisely about his Tatar army and their biological weapons. For example, while besieging the city of Cafu, they showered it with plague corpses using catapults. Previously, there was a popular version that this was how the European pandemic began, but now this hypothesis is considered extremely unconvincing. The generally accepted version is that the plague entered Europe through the main trade routes from Italy, Byzantium and Spain.

It is impossible not to mention how the plague was perceived in the 14th century and how they tried to treat it. Medieval medicine could offer such innovative methods as:

  • Attempts to absorb toxic miasma in an infected room using an onion lying on the floor.
  • Walking the streets with flowers
  • Wearing bags of human feces around the neck
  • Classic bloodletting
  • Sticking needles into testicles
  • Sprinkling foreheads with the blood of slaughtered puppies and pigeons
  • Tinctures of garlic and cabbage juice (which in general looks a bit too harmless)
  • Lighting fires to clear the air of infection
  • Collecting human gases in jars.
  • With hot iron (the only method that helped at all), the plague buboes were incised and cauterized; if a person survived this, he might have a chance to cope with the disease.

But the most effective formula was “cito, longe, tarde” - “Quickly, far, for a long time” to get out of the area of ​​infection somewhere far away.

Plague Doctors

It is worth mentioning separately the bright characters of this era who have already become part of the media - plague doctors. They were paid 4 times more than ordinary doctors, despite the fact that many of them had no education at all (they were politely called empiricists). No less important characters on the streets of medieval plague cities were mortus - people who had recovered from the plague or simply criminals whom one did not feel sorry for. They were mostly busy cleaning up the corpses. had some side cultural influence

First of all, this is a rapid increase in the number of flagellants (from the Latin Flagellare - to beat, flog, torment). Apparently many people thought that self-flagellation was a great way to cope with the gray (black?) plague of medieval everyday life. Religious hysteria and ideas about the approaching apocalypse are also worth arriving here. Distilled alcohol has also become incredibly popular. Firstly, it was a good antiseptic, and secondly, in times like these it’s probably difficult not to drink.

Jewish conspiracy

Of course, one cannot fail to mention the Jewish conspiracy theory, which bloomed magnificently in those years. Hysteria about Jews and their pogroms became fashionable again. And after I extracted confessions from several dozen suspects that they were poisoning the wells, everything generally became bad. During this period, the Jewish conspiracy again became a trend throughout Europe.

(Suddenly) good sides. A lot of cheap land and real estate have appeared in Europe because less demand is cheaper supply. Well, in the end, for centuries to come, humanity had a dark source of inspiration. There are still many stupid legends and superstitions associated with the plague.

Case in Nagorno-Karabakh

A plague epidemic broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh and someone began to dig up fresh plague burials. An investigation was carried out and it turned out that there was a certain local belief that explained that if family members begin to die one after another, you need to dig up the very first deceased and eat his heart and

IN XI in Europe the population began to grow sharply. TO XIV century it was impossible to feed everyone enough. More or less cultivable land was used. Lean years occurred more and more often, as the climate of Europe began to change - there was great cold and frequent rain. Hunger did not leave the cities and villages, the population suffered. But that wasn't the worst thing. The weakened population often fell ill. IN 1347 year the most terrible epidemic began.

Came to Sicily and ships from eastern countries. In their holds they carried black rats, which became the main source of a deadly type of plague. A terrible disease began to instantly spread throughout Western Europe. Everywhere people started dying. Some patients died in long agony, while others died instantly. Places of mass gatherings – cities – suffered the most. Sometimes there were no people there to bury the dead. Over 3 years, the European population decreased by 3 times. Frightened people fled the cities faster and spread the plague even more. That period of history was called the time "Black Death".

The plague affected neither kings nor slaves. Europe was divided into borders, to somehow reduce the spread of the disease.

IN 1346 year The Genoese attacked modern Feodosia. For the first time in history it was used biological weapons. The Crimean Khan threw the corpses of plague victims behind the besieged walls. The Genoese were forced to return to Constantinople, carrying with them a terrible murder weapon. Almost half of the city's population died.

European merchants, in addition to expensive goods from Constantinople, brought plague. Rat fleas were the main carriers of the terrible disease. The port cities were the first to take the hit. Their numbers decreased sharply.

The sick were treated by monks, who, by the will of the service, were supposed to help the suffering. It was among the clergy and monks that the greatest number of deaths occurred. Believers began to panic: if God’s servants were dying from the plague, what should the common people do? People considered it a punishment from God.

The Black Death plague came in three forms:

Bubonic plague– tumors appeared on the neck, groin and armpit. Their size could reach a small apple. The buboes began to turn black and after 3-5 days the patient died. This was the first form of plague.

Pneumonic plague– the person’s respiratory system suffered. It was transmitted by airborne droplets. The patient died almost instantly - within two days.

Septicemic plague– the circulatory system was affected. The patient had no chance to survive. Bleeding began from the mouth and nasal cavity.

Doctors and ordinary people could not understand what was happening. Panic began from horror. No one understood how he became infected with the Black Disease. On the first couple of occasions, the dead were buried in the church and buried in an individual grave. Later the churches were closed and the graves became common. But they too were instantly filled with corpses. Dead people were simply thrown out into the street.

In these terrible times, the looters decided to profit. But they also became infected and died within a few days.

Residents of cities and villages were afraid of becoming infected and locked themselves in their houses. The number of people able to work decreased. They sown little and harvested even less. To compensate for losses, landowners began to inflate land rent. Food prices have risen sharply. Neighboring countries were afraid to trade with each other. A poor diet further favored the spread of the plague.

The peasants tried to work only for themselves or demanded more money for their work. The nobility was in dire need of labor. Historians believe that the plague revived the middle class in Europe. New technologies and working methods began to appear: an iron plow, a three-field sowing system. A new economic revolution began in Europe in conditions of famine, epidemics and food shortages. The top government began to look at the common people differently.

The mood of the population also changed. People became more withdrawn and avoided their neighbors. After all, anyone could get the plague. Cynicism is developing, and morals have changed to the opposite. There were no feasts or balls. Some lost heart and spent the rest of their lives in taverns.

Society was divided. Some in fear refused a large inheritance. Others considered the plague a finger of fate and began a righteous life. Still others became real recluses and did not communicate with anyone. The rest escaped with good drinks and fun.

The common people began to look for the culprits. They became Jews and foreigners. The mass extermination of Jewish and foreign families began.

But after 4 years The Black Death plague in Europe in the 14th century subsided. Periodically, she returned to Europe, but did not cause massive losses. Today man has completely defeated the plague!

The plague - a terrible disease that was popularly called the “Black Death” - became a real pandemic in the Middle Ages, which swept not only Europe, but also parts of Asia and Africa, resulting in the death of a huge number of people (about 60 million people). In some countries, this terrible disease wiped out about half of the population, and it took centuries for the population to recover to its previous level. Our review contains little-known and shocking facts about this terrible disease.

Let us immediately clarify that very few written sources have reached us about the times when the Black Death raged on our planet. Therefore, there are a huge number of myths and rumors around the plague, sometimes greatly exaggerated.

Plague and the Church

The Catholic Church has been one of the most powerful organizations in the world for quite some time, so it is not surprising that there are many conspiracy theories about it and the church has become a scapegoat in many situations.

It is believed that the supposedly outdated and unscientific thinking and actions of the church contributed to the active spread of the disease and overall led to an increase in the number of deaths. Currently, the main theory is that the plague was spread by fleas, which were carried primarily by rats.

Due to Catholic superstitions, cats were initially blamed for spreading the plague. This led to their mass extermination, which in turn caused rapid reproduction of rats. They were the cause of the spread of the plague.

But skeptics believe that rats could not contribute to such an active spread of the disease.

Overpopulation, sewage, flies...

Some people do not like to remember this completely unromantic part of medieval history. Researchers believe that one of the main reasons for the plague pandemic was the fact that people did not pay any attention to hygiene.

And the point is not even that people did not wash, but that there was no modern infrastructure, in particular sewerage, constant garbage collection, refrigeration equipment, etc. An example is Bristol, the second largest city in the UK when the plague broke out in Europe. The city was overpopulated and there were open ditches everywhere with human waste and other sewage overflowing. Meat and fish were left out in the open air, and flies lurked in the food. no one cared about the purity of the water. Not only the poor, but also the rich lived in these conditions.

Is the plague native to Asia?

It is believed that the cause of the outbreak of plague was not rats, but the “plague bacillus” bacterium that appeared in Asia, which appeared due to climate changes in this region. In addition, there were excellent conditions for both the spread of pathogenic bacteria and the breeding of fleas. And this fact just confirms the theory that rats are involved in the spread of the disease.

Plague and HIV

After the plague pandemic that killed millions of people, there were several more outbreaks of the disease at different times. Perhaps only those who lived far from large cities and observed the rules of hygiene managed to escape. And some scientists are sure that they have developed immunity.

Approximately the same situation is happening today with AIDS. Scientists have discovered that there are people who are immune to this disease. Some researchers believe that this mutation likely occurred due to the human body's fight against the plague epidemic in Europe. Understanding the mechanism of this rare mutation can certainly help in the treatment or prevention of HIV.

Black Death and nursery rhyme

The nursery rhyme “Round Around Rosie” is popular in the West. While it may just be an innocent song for children who love it, some adults are convinced that the song's origins are very dark. They believe that Circle Around Rosie is actually about the Black Death in Europe. The song mentions bags with bouquets of flowers, and during the plague, bags with strong-smelling herbs were worn by the sick to hide the unpleasant odor emanating from them.

Ash, which is also referred to in the song, is a fairly obvious reference to dead people being burned. However, there is no evidence that the poem has anything to do with the plague. There are several varieties of it, the earliest of which date back to the 1800s. And this was hundreds of years after the plague.

The plague accelerated the onset of the Renaissance

Although the Black Death was an incredible tragedy in human history and led to millions of deaths, this event, oddly enough, also had positive aspects for society.

The fact is that in those years Europe suffered from overpopulation and, as a consequence, unemployment. After millions of people fell victim to the plague, these problems resolved themselves. In addition, wages have increased. Masters are worth their weight in gold. Thus, some scholars argue that the plague was one of the factors contributing to the advent of the Renaissance.

The plague still claims lives today

Some people believe that the plague is a thing of the past. But there are places on Earth where this disease continues to kill people. The plague bacillus has not disappeared and still appears today, even in North America, a continent where plague was unknown in the Middle Ages.

People still die from the plague, especially in poor countries. Failure to comply with hygiene rules and lack of medicines lead to the fact that the disease can kill a person in just a few days.

"Bad Air"

The scientific theory of miasma in relation to disease is quite old. Given that science was in its infancy during the plague outbreak in Europe, many experts at the time believed that the disease was spread through “bad air.” Considering the smells of sewage flowing like rivers through the streets, and the stench of decomposing bodies that had not had time to bury, it is not surprising that the foul air was considered responsible for the spread of the disease.

This miasma theory led desperate people at the time to begin cleaning up dirt from the streets to avoid bad air and help prevent disease. Although these were actually good measures, they had nothing to do with the epidemic.

The concept of "quarantine"

The idea of ​​quarantine did not come with the Black Death; The practice of separating sick and healthy people has existed for a long time. In many cultures around the world, people long ago realized that placing healthy people next to sick people often caused the healthy people to get sick. In fact, even the Bible suggests keeping those with leprosy away from healthy people to prevent them from becoming infected.

However, the actual term "quarantine" is much more recent and is actually indirectly related to the plague. During repeated outbreaks of the Black Death across Europe, some countries forced sick people to live in fields until they recovered or died. In others, they set aside a small area for sick people, or simply locked them at home.

The isolation period typically lasted about 30 days. This may be excessive, but little was known about germs at the time. Eventually, for unknown reasons, the amount of time for isolating patients was increased to 40 days.

Virus or bacteria

Most people believe that the Black Death was caused by a bacterium called plague bacillus (Yersinia pestis), which infected people with bubonic plague. The disease was named so because of the terrible buboes that appeared on the body. However, some researchers have suggested that this bacterium may not actually be the culprit behind the global pandemic that swept across three continents centuries ago.

A number of scientists have spent years exhuming those who died from the plague and examining their remains. They stated that the plague was spreading too quickly, much faster than modern strains of plague. Some scientists are convinced that it was a completely different disease that behaved more like a virus.

Perhaps it was something more similar to Ebola than to modern versions of the plague bacillus. Scientists also recently discovered the existence of two unknown strains of Yersinia Pestis that were present in the remains of those killed by the plague.

The Black Death is the most terrible epidemic known in history, spreading across Europe in the period 1347-1351. It is generally accepted that this was an outbreak of bubonic and pneumonic plague. For more than three centuries, the disease came to the European continent again and again, although later epidemics were no longer so devastating.

In ancient times, the word “plague” (“pestis” in Latin, “loimos” in Greek) meant any epidemic in general, a disease that is accompanied by fever or fever. For example, the “plague” that struck Athens at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War and killed Pericles was, according to the historian Thucydides’ description, typhoid fever.

In the VI century. In Europe there was an epidemic of a disease called plague, the so-called Plague of Justinian. Local outbreaks have sometimes been observed in different countries. But in 1346-1347. in the territory including the lower reaches of the Volga, the Northern Caspian Sea, the Northern Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Crimea, the Eastern spurs of the Carpathians, the Black Sea region, the Near and Middle East, Asia Minor, the Balkans, Sicily, Rhodes, Cyprus, Malta, Sardinia, Corsica, North Africa, the south of the Iberian peninsula, the mouth of the Rhone, the activation of natural foci of plague began.

It was believed that the beginning of the epidemic in the 14th century. ended the siege of the Genoese fortress of Kafa (modern Feodosia) in Crimea by Khan Janibek. The disease struck the besiegers, and then they began to throw the corpses of the dead into the city with catapults. In fact, as researchers now think, the episode with the siege of Kafa could not have had a significant impact on the spread of the disease. By that time, the plague was already raging in Asia, and the traders of the Great Silk Road inevitably spread it throughout the vast continent. Already in May 1347, Paris knew about the epidemic in Asia and Eastern Europe. The many symptoms of the disease were scary and unexpected. With bubonic plague, patients developed tumors in the lymph nodes - buboes; with the pulmonary form, hemoptysis began. All this was supplemented by a rash, nausea, vomiting, and fever. And if someone sick with the bubonic form could recover, then everyone died from pneumonic plague.

The Genoese, who managed to escape to the West, spread the plague throughout Europe. In 1347, the epidemic spread to Constantinople, Greece, Sicily and Dalmatia. In June 1348 it spread to France and Spain, and in the fall to England and Ireland. In 1349, the disease spread to Germany, Scandinavia, Iceland and even Greenland. In 1352, an epidemic came to Rus'. In total, at least 25 million Europeans died over these years. People then considered the cause of the plague to be harmful fumes, miasmas, and spoiled air. However, they also understood the danger of infection, so they arranged quarantines.

But the disease did not stop the development of European civilization. The old states remained, the old conflicts continued. In the most terrible years, Petrarch traveled through Italy, dreaming of the return of the ancient heritage and becoming the forerunner of the Renaissance, and Boccaccio wrote his Decameron, imbued with the ideas of humanism and the desire for love and happiness.

What could have caused this epidemic? Expansion of the steppe zone, and, consequently, the spread of rodents - carriers of the disease? Indeed, in Rus' the first years of the 14th century were dry; in 1308, an invasion of rodents was observed everywhere, accompanied by pestilence and famine. But the Black Death came forty years later, and the last years before the epidemic the weather in southern Europe was warm and damp. Frequent floods, snowy winters, rainy summer months - the steppe could not expand under such conditions.

Most of the reports of plague affecting the lungs concerned northern countries (England, Norway, Russia). And, probably, during the Black Death pandemic, secondary pneumonic plague prevailed, which developed as a complication of the bubonic plague.

But the bubonic plague does not spread beyond its natural foci, does not spread in the North, it could not cover all of Europe so quickly. In 1997, Nobel Prize laureate in biochemistry J. Lederberg suggested that the clinical picture of the then widespread disease was “tailored” to the clinic of the plague. The monstrous mortality rate of the European population during the first epidemics of the Black Death was not characteristic of any of the subsequent epidemics. Lederberg doubts that the Black Death is a plague. There is also a hypothesis that some other factors influenced human susceptibility to the plague. They even call it AIDS, but it is worth remembering that starting from the 11th century, leprosy and smallpox became more active in Europe.

Epidemics continued into the next century, but pneumonic plague was replaced by the less dangerous bubonic form of the disease.

The last outbreaks in Western Europe occurred in England in 1665, Vienna in 1683. In London, the epidemic ended with the “great fire” of 1666. The city center was rebuilt, and Londoners believed that this was why the city no longer suffered from the plague. But the fire left untouched the overcrowded suburbs that had been a breeding ground for the plague in previous years. Subsequent outbreaks of the disease occurred further and further from the center of Europe. It almost looked as if European countries were developing some form of protection that would contain the spread of infection. In the north, the plague was retreating east; in the Mediterranean it went south. And each time, the areas where the disease spread were smaller and smaller, although people traveled more and more.

In the 18th century In Europe, black rats - plague carriers - were replaced by gray rats. Perhaps this is what led to the extinction of epidemics. But in the 18th century. Gray rats advanced into Europe from east to west, and the plague retreated from west to east. Maybe the black rats developed resistance to the plague and spread throughout their population. But this is unlikely. Perhaps a new strain of plague bacteria has emerged that is less contagious and dangerous than the earlier one. Perhaps some pathogens worked as vaccines, causing relative immunity in animals and people to a more dangerous strain of these bacteria.

Or, most likely, some kind of natural selection occurred, people with immunity to the plague survived and passed this property on to their descendants. In any case, the search for clues to the “Black Death” can lead to many interesting discoveries in medicine and help people fight infectious diseases.

The Black Death is a disease that is currently the subject of legends. This is actually the name given to the plague that struck Europe, Asia, North Africa and even Greenland in the 14th century. The pathology proceeded mainly in the bubonic form. The territorial focus of the disease has become where this place is, many people know. The Gobi belongs to Eurasia. The Black Sea arose precisely there due to the Little Ice Age, which served as an impetus for sudden and dangerous climate change.

It took the lives of 60 million people. Moreover, in some regions the death toll reached two-thirds of the population. Due to the unpredictability of the disease, as well as the impossibility of curing it at that time, religious ideas began to flourish among people. Belief in a higher power has become commonplace. At the same time, persecution began of the so-called “poisoners”, “witches”, “sorcerers”, who, according to religious fanatics, sent the epidemic to people.

This period remained in history as a time of impatient people who were overcome by fear, hatred, mistrust and numerous superstitions. In fact, of course, there is a scientific explanation for the outbreak of bubonic plague.

The Myth of the Bubonic Plague

When historians were looking for ways to penetrate the disease into Europe, they settled on the opinion that the plague appeared in Tatarstan. More precisely, it was brought by the Tatars.

In 1348, led by Khan Dzhanybek, during the siege of the Genoese fortress of Kafa (Feodosia), they threw there the corpses of people who had previously died from the plague. After liberation, Europeans began to leave the city, spreading the disease throughout Europe.

But the so-called “plague in Tatarstan” turned out to be nothing more than a speculation of people who do not know how to explain the sudden and deadly outbreak of the “Black Death”.

The theory was defeated as it became known that the pandemic was not transmitted between people. It could be contracted from small rodents or insects.

This “general” theory existed for quite a long time and contained many mysteries. In fact, the plague epidemic, as it turned out later, began for several reasons.

Natural causes of the pandemic

In addition to dramatic climate change in Eurasia, the outbreak of bubonic plague was preceded by several other environmental factors. Among them:

  • global drought in China followed by widespread famine;
  • in Henan province massive;
  • Rain and hurricanes prevailed in Beijing for a long time.

Like the Plague of Justinian, as the first pandemic in history was called, the Black Death struck people after massive natural disasters. She even followed the same path as her predecessor.

The decrease in people's immunity, provoked by environmental factors, has led to mass morbidity. The disaster reached such proportions that church leaders had to open rooms for the sick population.

The plague in the Middle Ages also had socio-economic prerequisites.

Socio-economic causes of bubonic plague

Natural factors could not provoke such a serious outbreak of the epidemic on their own. They were supported by the following socio-economic prerequisites:

  • military operations in France, Spain, Italy;
  • the dominance of the Mongol-Tatar yoke over part of Eastern Europe;
  • increased trade;
  • soaring poverty;
  • too high population density.

Another important factor that provoked the invasion of the plague was a belief that implied that healthy believers should wash as little as possible. According to the saints of that time, contemplation of one’s own naked body leads a person into temptation. Some followers of the church were so imbued with this opinion that they never immersed themselves in water in their entire adult lives.

Europe in the 14th century was not considered a pure power. The population did not monitor waste disposal. Waste was thrown directly from the windows, slops and the contents of chamber pots were poured onto the road, and the blood of livestock flowed into it. This all later ended up in the river, from which people took water for cooking and even for drinking.

Like the Plague of Justinian, the Black Death was caused by large numbers of rodents that lived in close contact with humans. In the literature of that time you can find many notes on what to do in case of an animal bite. As you know, rats and marmots are carriers of the disease, so people were terrified of even one of their species. In an effort to overcome rodents, many forgot about everything, including their family.

How it all began

The origin of the disease was the Gobi Desert. The location of the immediate outbreak is unknown. It is assumed that the Tatars who lived nearby declared a hunt for marmots, which are carriers of the plague. The meat and fur of these animals were highly valued. Under such conditions, infection was inevitable.

Due to drought and other negative weather conditions, many rodents left their shelters and moved closer to people, where more food could be found.

Hebei province in China was the first to be affected. At least 90% of the population died there. This is another reason that gave rise to the opinion that the outbreak of the plague was provoked by the Tatars. They could lead the disease along the famous Silk Road.

Then the plague reached India, after which it moved to Europe. Surprisingly, only one source from that time mentions the true nature of the disease. It is believed that people were affected by the bubonic form of plague.

In countries that were not affected by the pandemic, real panic arose in the Middle Ages. The heads of the powers sent messengers for information about the disease and forced specialists to invent a cure for it. The population of some states, remaining ignorant, willingly believed rumors that snakes were raining on the contaminated lands, a fiery wind was blowing and acid balls were falling from the sky.

Low temperatures, a long stay outside the host's body, and thawing cannot destroy the causative agent of the Black Death. But sun exposure and drying are effective against it.

Bubonic plague begins to develop from the moment of being bitten by an infected flea. Bacteria enter the lymph nodes and begin their life activity. Suddenly, a person is overcome by chills, his body temperature rises, the headache becomes unbearable, and his facial features become unrecognizable, black spots appear under his eyes. On the second day after infection, the bubo itself appears. This is what is called an enlarged lymph node.

A person infected with the plague can be identified immediately. "Black Death" is a disease that changes the face and body beyond recognition. Blisters become noticeable already on the second day, and the patient’s general condition cannot be called adequate.

The symptoms of plague in a medieval person are surprisingly different from those of a modern patient.

Clinical picture of the bubonic plague of the Middle Ages

“Black Death” is a disease that in the Middle Ages was identified by the following signs:

  • high fever, chills;
  • aggressiveness;
  • continuous feeling of fear;
  • severe pain in the chest;
  • dyspnea;
  • cough with bloody discharge;
  • blood and waste products turned black;
  • a dark coating could be seen on the tongue;
  • ulcers and buboes appearing on the body emitted an unpleasant odor;
  • clouding of consciousness.

These symptoms were considered a sign of imminent and imminent death. If a person received such a sentence, he already knew that he had very little time left. No one tried to fight such symptoms; they were considered the will of God and the church.

Treatment of bubonic plague in the Middle Ages

Medieval medicine was far from ideal. The doctor who came to examine the patient paid more attention to talking about whether he had confessed than to directly treating him. This was due to the religious insanity of the population. Saving the soul was considered a much more important task than healing the body. Accordingly, surgical intervention was practically not practiced.

Treatment methods for plague were as follows:

  • cutting tumors and cauterizing them with a hot iron;
  • use of antidotes;
  • applying reptile skin to the buboes;
  • pulling out disease using magnets.

However, medieval medicine was not hopeless. Some doctors of that time advised patients to stick to a good diet and wait for the body to cope with the plague on its own. This is the most adequate theory of treatment. Of course, under the conditions of that time, cases of recovery were isolated, but they still took place.

Only mediocre doctors or young people who wanted to gain fame in an extremely risky way took on the treatment of the disease. They wore a mask that looked like a bird's head with a pronounced beak. However, such protection did not save everyone, so many doctors died after their patients.

Government authorities advised people to adhere to the following methods of combating the epidemic:

  • Long distance escape. At the same time, it was necessary to cover as many kilometers as possible very quickly. It was necessary to remain at a safe distance from the disease for as long as possible.
  • Drive herds of horses through contaminated areas. It was believed that the breath of these animals purifies the air. For the same purpose, it was advised to allow various insects into houses. A saucer of milk was placed in a room where a person had recently died of the plague, as it was believed to absorb the disease. Methods such as breeding spiders in the house and burning large numbers of fires near the living space were also popular.
  • Do whatever is necessary to kill the smell of the plague. It was believed that if a person does not feel the stench emanating from infected people, he is sufficiently protected. That is why many carried bouquets of flowers with them.

Doctors also advised not to sleep after dawn, not to have intimate relations and not to think about the epidemic and death. Nowadays this approach seems crazy, but in the Middle Ages people found solace in it.

Of course, religion was an important factor influencing life during the epidemic.

Religion during the bubonic plague epidemic

"Black Death" is a disease that frightened people with its uncertainty. Therefore, against this background, various religious beliefs arose:

  • The plague is a punishment for ordinary human sins, disobedience, bad attitude towards loved ones, the desire to succumb to temptation.
  • The plague arose as a result of neglect of faith.
  • The epidemic began because shoes with pointed toes came into fashion, which greatly angered God.

Priests who were obliged to listen to the confessions of dying people often became infected and died. Therefore, cities were often left without church ministers because they feared for their lives.

Against the background of the tense situation, various groups or sects appeared, each of which explained the cause of the epidemic in its own way. In addition, various superstitions were widespread among the population, which were considered the pure truth.

Superstitions during the bubonic plague epidemic

In any, even the most insignificant event, during the epidemic, people saw peculiar signs of fate. Some superstitions were quite surprising:

  • If a completely naked woman plows the ground around the house, and the rest of the family members are indoors at this time, the plague will leave the surrounding areas.
  • If you make an effigy symbolizing the plague and burn it, the disease will recede.
  • To prevent the disease from attacking, you need to carry silver or mercury with you.

Many legends developed around the image of the plague. People really believed in them. They were afraid to open the door of their house again, so as not to let the plague spirit inside. Even relatives fought among themselves, everyone tried to save themselves and only themselves.

The situation in society

The oppressed and frightened people eventually came to the conclusion that the plague was being spread by so-called outcasts who wanted the death of the entire population. The pursuit of the suspects began. They were forcibly dragged to the infirmary. Many people who were identified as suspects committed suicide. An epidemic of suicide has hit Europe. The problem has reached such proportions that the authorities have threatened those who commit suicide by putting their corpses on public display.

Since many people were sure that they had very little time left to live, they went to great lengths: they became addicted to alcohol, looking for entertainment with women of easy virtue. This lifestyle further intensified the epidemic.

The pandemic reached such proportions that the corpses were taken out at night, dumped in special pits and buried.

Sometimes it happened that plague patients deliberately appeared in society, trying to infect as many enemies as possible. This was also due to the fact that it was believed that the plague would recede if it was passed on to someone else.

In the atmosphere of that time, any person who stood out from the crowd for any reason could be considered a poisoner.

Consequences of the Black Death

The Black Death had significant consequences in all areas of life. The most significant of them:

  • The ratio of blood groups has changed significantly.
  • Instability in the political sphere of life.
  • Many villages were deserted.
  • The beginning of feudal relations was laid. Many people in whose workshops their sons worked were forced to hire outside craftsmen.
  • Since there were not enough male labor resources to work in the production sector, women began to master this type of activity.
  • Medicine has moved to a new stage of development. All sorts of diseases began to be studied and cures for them were invented.
  • Servants and the lower strata of the population, due to the lack of people, began to demand a better position for themselves. Many insolvent people turned out to be heirs of rich deceased relatives.
  • Attempts were made to mechanize production.
  • Housing and rental prices have dropped significantly.
  • The self-awareness of the population, which did not want to blindly obey the government, grew at a tremendous pace. This resulted in various riots and revolutions.
  • The influence of the church on the population has weakened significantly. People saw the helplessness of the priests in the fight against the plague and stopped trusting them. Rituals and beliefs that were previously prohibited by the church came into use again. The age of “witches” and “sorcerers” has begun. The number of priests has decreased significantly. People who were uneducated and inappropriate in age were often hired for such positions. Many did not understand why death takes not only criminals, but also good, kind people. In this regard, Europe doubted the power of God.
  • After such a large-scale pandemic, the plague did not completely leave the population. Periodically, epidemics broke out in different cities, taking people’s lives with them.

Today, many researchers doubt that the second pandemic took place precisely in the form of the bubonic plague.

Opinions on the second pandemic

There are doubts that the "Black Death" is synonymous with the period of prosperity of the bubonic plague. There are explanations for this:

  • Plague patients rarely experienced symptoms such as fever and sore throat. However, modern scholars note that there are many errors in the narratives of that time. Moreover, some works are fictional and contradict not only other stories, but also themselves.
  • The third pandemic was able to kill only 3% of the population, while the Black Death wiped out at least a third of Europe. But there is an explanation for this too. During the second pandemic, there was terrible unsanitary conditions that caused more problems than illness.
  • The buboes that arise when a person is affected are located under the armpits and in the neck area. It would be logical if they appeared on the legs, since that is where it is easiest for a flea to get into. However, this fact is not flawless. It turns out that, along with the plague, the human louse is also a spreader. And there were many such insects in the Middle Ages.
  • An epidemic is usually preceded by the mass death of rats. This phenomenon was not observed in the Middle Ages. This fact can also be disputed given the presence of human lice.
  • The flea, which is the carrier of the disease, feels best in warm and humid climates. The pandemic flourished even in the coldest winters.
  • The speed of the epidemic's spread was record-breaking.

As a result of the research, it was found that the genome of modern strains of plague is identical to the disease of the Middle Ages, which proves that it was the bubonic form of pathology that became the “Black Death” for the people of that time. Therefore, any other opinions are automatically moved to the incorrect category. But a more detailed study of the issue is still ongoing.