The Black Death (OCR GCSE History B (Schools History Project)): Revision Note

Summary

The Black Death is probably the most deadly epidemic in human history. Today, we understand that it is caused by a germ called Yersinia pestis and it can be quickly and easily treated with antibiotics. In the 14th century, people had no idea what caused it, how it spread or how to stop it.

No member of the British population was safe as the Black Death spread rapidly. Within months of it arriving in Britain, between a third and a half of the British population had been killed by the Black Death.

The arrival of the Black Death

• It is believed that the sickness that became known as the Black Death originated in Asia

• The deadly germ, Yersinia pestis, travelled the world in the guts of fleas

• These fleas lived on the rats that were commonly found on the trading ships that travelled between Europe and Asia

• When the rats came ashore, the fleas would jump onto people and bite them

  • This infected them with the Yersinia pestis germ

The symptoms of the Black Death

• People bitten by an infected flea would develop bubonic plague

  • This would cause buboes (painful swellings) to grow in the lymph nodes in the armpits and groin

  • The sufferer would also develop an intense fever

  • Once the infection reached the bloodstream, it caused internal bleeding, which would lead to the sufferer developing a bruised, blackish appearance

• People also caught the pneumonic plague by breathing in droplets containing the Yersinia pestis germ after an infected person coughed near them

  • This would result in them developing a fever and coughing up blood

• Both the bubonic plague and the pneumonic plague frequently resulted in death

  • In Medieval Britain, they were collectively called the pestilence and later became known as the Black Death

Beliefs about the Black Death

• Due to the strong belief in God at the time, most people saw the Black Death as a punishment from God

  • They believed that, if God had wanted to stop the epidemic, then He would have

  • The fact that death and sickness kept spreading was proof to them that the Black Death was God's will

• Other people believed that the unusual position of the planets lay behind the outbreak

• Some people thought that the Black Death spread through bad smells, which they called miasma

  • Dirty places, vomit and excrement all smell foul and being exposed to all of these is likely to result in illness

  • As they did not know about germs, medieval people thought it was the smell itself that spread infection

• Eye contact with a sufferer was also believed to pass on the sickness

• Another widely believed explanation for sickness in the Middle Ages was that a person's humours were out of balance

  • It was believed that the four humours made up the human body:

    • Blood

    • Phlegm: A water-like substance coughed out or contained in a sneeze

    • Black Bile: Blood that had clotted, seen in vomit or poo

    • Yellow Bile (Choler): A substance contained in vomit or pus

  • People believed that for a person to be healthy, the four humours should be in balance

  • If humours were unbalanced, the person would then become ill

Actions during the Black Death

• As most people believed that God was responsible for the Black Death, their actions centred around trying to please Him

• These actions included:

  • Praying

  • Lighting candles in church

  • Fasting

  • Confessing their sins

  • Organising large processions to church

  • Going on pilgrimages to holy sites

  • Some people, known as flagellants. publicly whipped themselves

    • They thought this would show God they were punishing themselves and did not need further punishment

• People also took more rational steps to prevent the Black Death from spreading

• These included:

  • Carrying sweet-smelling flowers and herbs to counteract the foul-smelling miasma

  • Ordering the streets to be cleaned

  • Moving to the countryside, where they would not have any contact with other people

• However, no national laws were passed that ordered streets to be cleaned or banned people from travelling