The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague or Bubonic Plague, caused the death of one third of Europe’s population in the 13th and 14th centuries. This devastating plague led to years of turmoil and acts of bravery, bringing society and the economy to a halt. Death became a central theme in art, music, and folklore, shaping people’s thoughts and beliefs. The impact of this deadly disease created chaos and disrupted medieval society due to its mysterious origin, unknown causes and remedies, fatal symptoms, and disruption of daily life. Consequently, religion underwent significant change and was greatly impacted by this mass killer.
In 1347, the Genoese cathedral city and trading ports of Caffa on the Black Sea were under siege by a Tartar army led by Kipchak khan Janibeg. The besieging army was struck by a deadly and ruthless plague which was killing soldiers rapidly. Janibeg Khan realized that he needed to end the siege but wanted to make the defenders understand the suffering his army was experiencing before retreating.
So Janibeg used giant catapults to hurl the rotting corpses of the plagued victims over the walls of the town. By this means the infection spread among the Genoese defenders. Before long, the Genoese were dying from the plague as fast as the Tartars on the outside. A few who believed they were free of the plague took to their ships and sailed towards the Mediterranean. At each port they visited, the deadly disease was unleashed by the ship and its crew. The trading routes played a role in spreading the disease across the continent.
In October of 1347, several Italian merchant ships returned from a trip to the Black Sea. These ships carried a cargo of flea infested rats, which had guts full of the bacillus Yersinia pestis (the bacteria which causes the plague). Inspectors attempted to quarantine the fleet, but it was too late. Realizing what a deadly disaster had come to them, the people quickly drove the Italians from their city. But the disease remained, and soon death was everywhere. (The Black Death)
One eyewitness account said this ”
In May, the mortality in Siena commenced, bringing about cruelty and horror. The sight of the pain was so overwhelming that it left people stunned. The atrocious truth is beyond language’s capacity to express. Those fortunate enough to not witness such horrors can be deemed blessed. The victims succumbed swiftly, experiencing swelling under their armpits and in their groin before collapsing mid-conversation.
Father abandoned child, wife abandoned husband, one brother abandoned another; for this illness seemed to strike through breath and sight. And so they died. None could be found to bury the dead for money or friendship. Members of a household brought their dead to a ditch as best they could, without priest, without divine offices. In many places in Siena great pits were dug and piled deep with the multitude of dead. And they died by the hundreds, both day and night, and all were thrown in those ditches and covered with earth. And as soon as those ditches were filled, more were dug. I, Agnolo di Tura . . . buried my five children with my own hands. . . . And so many died that all believed it was the end of the world.” (another description) Fathers abandoned their sick sons.
Lawyers refused to come and create wills for the dying, leaving the task to be handled by friars and nuns who also took care of the sick. Consequently, monasteries and convents were soon abandoned as they too succumbed to the plague. With no one available to perform Christian burials, bodies were left behind in uninhabited houses. The terrifying aspect of this unstoppable wave of death stemmed from its unknown origin, which gave it a supernatural and ominous quality. The Black Death, or Bubonic Plague, had profoundly shocked Europe, prompting people everywhere to desperately seek explanations and answers to their numerous inquiries.
The majority of explanations for the Black Death were rooted in folklore, superstition, and rumors. Suspicion often fell upon travelers and other questionable outsiders. Some attributed the spread to invisible particles transported by wind, while others believed poisoned wells were to blame. A destructive earthquake that occurred between Naples and Venice in 1347 was thought to have released toxic gases into the air, resulting in poisoning those it affected.
The scholars from the University of Paris declared that the Black Death was caused by a triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars in the 40th degree of Aquarius on March 20, 1345. However, they admitted their lack of understanding regarding the mechanism behind it. Additionally, Jews were wrongly accused of poisoning wells, leading to over 350 massacres in Germany and Switzerland. Consequently, many Jews sought refuge in Poland. Moreover, individuals who were perceived as eccentric or disliked faced baseless accusations of sorcery and witchcraft.
The violence against non-Europeans revealed the true nature and limitations of citizenship in Europe. It was a society that identified itself as Christian, but the ongoing plague caused changes in religious beliefs and practices.
Ordinary people believed that the plague was a punishment from God for human wickedness. There were also groups of hooded men who shared this belief, as evidenced by the red crosses on their robes. These men believed that by scourging themselves, they could demonstrate mankind’s repentance. Led by a layman, these groups consisted of 50 to 500 individuals who traveled from town to town. During their journey, they would sing hymns, sob, and beat themselves with scourges that were studded with iron spikes. This ritual took place in public and occurred twice a day.
The flagellants, known as living martyrs, were worshipped by the masses. This led to a significant increase in religious donations and a surge in pilgrimages.
People were advised to eat plenty of figs and filberts before breakfast or avoid sleeping on their backs to prevent infection. In addition, they were warned about the danger of breathing in pestilential air, which could enter the lungs through their nostrils. The plague could be caused by an infected flea bite or by scratching or being bitten while handling animals. Furthermore, it could also be contracted by inhaling droplets in the air from individuals who already had the infection in their lungs.
The initial signs of the bubonic plague typically manifest within a few days, such as headache and overall weakness. This is then followed by upper leg and groin discomfort, accompanied by chills. Additional symptoms may include a coated tongue, fast heartbeat, difficulty speaking clearly, confusion, tiredness, lack of motivation, and an unsteady walking pattern.
A blackish pustule typically forms where the fleabite occurs. On the third day, the lymph node starts to swell, specifically in the leg if that is where the bite took place. This swelling becomes tender and can grow as large as an egg. The heart begins to beat rapidly in an attempt to circulate blood through the swollen and suffocating tissues. Additionally, subcutaneous hemorrhaging leads to purplish blotches on the skin. The victim experiences the collapse of their nervous system, resulting in excruciating pain and strange neurological disorders. By the fourth day, intense anxiety and terror overwhelm the afflicted person, followed by a sense of resignation as the skin turns black and the appearance of death ensues. (Blue).
During the plague outbreak, Europeans questioned why God would allow such a disaster and sought help. In Christendom, people fervently prayed for relief from the plague but began to alter their religious practices when their prayers were not answered. They confronted living in a world without a powerful God, which instilled great awe and fear during this difficult period. Religion permeated every aspect of their lives, and its absence opened the door to a new era of philosophical investigation.
