The Black Death

The Black Death is a theme that you may already know, but by one of its other 3 names, which are: The Black Plague, The Great Mortality, and The Pestilence. This “bubonic” plague, caused by a bacterium called yersinia pestis, went through Europe between the years 1347 – 1350. Its origin location is still not known. This era brought Europe some drastic effects, such as in social structure as in population, killing approximately 20 million people. Why so much tragedy? Couldn’t it be cured? No, it couldn’t, sadly there was no medical knowledge to cope with the disease.

There were different types of plague: The lumps, called buboes, gave the Bubonic Plague its name. Plague is carried by rodents like rats and squirrels, but it is transmitted to humans by the fleas that live on them. Another form was Pneumonic Plague. The victims of Pneumonic Plague had no buboes, but they suffered severe chest pains, sweated heavily, and coughed up blood. It is contracted by breathing the infected water droplets breathed (or coughed) out by a victim of the disease. The third manifestation was Septicemic Plague. This sickness would befall when the contagion poisoned the victim's bloodstream. Victims of Septicemic Plague died the most swiftly, often before any notable symptoms had a chance to develop. Another form, Enteric Plague, attacked the victim's digestive system, but it too killed the patient too swiftly for diagnosis of any kind.

The drastic social effects were: the marriage rate rose sharply, the birth rate also rose, there were notable increases in violence and debauchery, and upward mobility took place on a small scale. In the economy the effects were: A surplus of goods resulted in overspending, and a shortage of laborers meant they were able to charge higher prices. Finally, in the population it not only reduced it, it made it have different reactions and believes. Most of the people thought it was God’s punish for the men sins. People went hysterical and fled the cities in panic, others prayed for salvation.

As it says in the introduction, it is estimated that approximately 20 million people died in Europe from the Black Death. This is about one-third of the population. Many cities lost more than 40% of their residents. Paris lost half, and Venice, Hamburg and Bremen are estimated to have lost at least 60% of their populations.

In conclusion this horrifying era in Europe affected everyone. Not only the ones who got infected. Others ran away of fear leaving their loved ones behind, the hysteria was such that no one knew what to do. Also, no one knew why they died, they had a lot of theories, ones because of the fear, others because of shame. People only knew that they were dying horribly.

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