Plgue
If you can, imagine all your family and friends falling ill to an unexplainable disease. They awake one morning as healthy as ever and by nightfall they are deathly ill. They all show similar symptoms, which include a high fever and painful swellings about the size of an egg in their armpit or groin area. These swellings ooze blood and pus. All of the inflicted's excrements - vomit, blood, urine, sweat - smell unimaginably bad. Within five days all of your loved ones are dead. Imagine also, that all of your neighbors have also succumbed to this terrible disease. If you were able to imagine this situation as part of your experience you have entered the mindset of a 14th century European during the period of the Black Death. The second major outbreak of bubonic plague, known as the Black Death, occurred in Europe in 1346-50. The plague was believed to have originated in China and brought to Europe on trading ships. Specifically, it entered Europe on twelve Italian trading ships that docked in Sicily in October 1347 carrying a cargo of men dying or dead from the plague. Once the plague entered the port it was virtually unstoppable. One eyewitness account reads: "
Other people had similar sentiments: that the plague was caused by the wickedness of humanity, and that this wickedness was manifested by an assault on the universals that held society together. They could have believed that God would have more pity and mercy on them if they gave up their possessions to the people who were doing God's will. They were used as a strategy to reassure the people that plague did not just happen without cause, and there were countless theories invented to explain the pestilence. They inflicted all sorts of punishments upon themselves, trying to atone for the evil of the world, sacrificing themselves for the world's sins in imitation of Jesus. In addition, plague was a cure for social fragmentation and sin. This was a huge disappointment for people since most of them were very dependent upon their religion to help them through the difficult times in their lives. More probable though, people came to the realization that they were not going to be able to take their wealth to the next life and that their wealth was not going to spare them from this relentless disease. People were obviously very confused about the plague, its origin, and God's role in it during this time. They would enter towns singing and would make their way to the nearest church and perform their rituals. Still others blamed prideful women and fraudulent Jews for bringing on the plague in Europe. People could have made this choice for several reasons. In winter the disease seemed to disappear, but only because fleas - which were helping carry the plague - were dormant then. For these apparent reasons the Church was just as diversely affected by the Black Death as was the entirety of Europe. Another example of the pilgrimages going on throughout the land was the flagellant movement. Smaller outbreaks continued for several centuries afterwards so fear of its return was never far from people's thoughts.
Common topics in this essay:
Sicily October,
Europe Whatever,
Thomas Becket,
Paper Plague,
Black Death,
God's People,
Jesus Society,
Boccaccio Decameron,
Church People,
Europe Plague,
black death,
trading ships,
plague plague,
plague tractates,
people trying,
reasons people,
people church,
tell stories,
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Acceptance Essays
