The Black Death: The Devastating Pandemic
The Black Death was one of the greatest tragedies of the Middle Ages, decimating around a third of the European population between 1347 and 1351. The disease, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, was transmitted by rat fleas and spread rapidly through overcrowded cities with poor sanitation. With symptoms such as high fever, swollen glands and skin necrosis, the plague devastated entire villages, leaving streets full of corpses and an atmosphere of despair.
Amidst the chaos, the flagellants emerged, religious groups who believed that the plague was a divine punishment. To atone for the sins of humanity, they would go through cities, self-flagellating with whips, hoping that their suffering would appease the wrath of God. However, their processions often aggravated the spread of the disease.
Medieval medicine, limited and based on superstitious beliefs, offered bizarre cures. Treatments included the use of leeches to "balance the body's humors," potions made from crushed human skulls, and even baths in urine. With no knowledge of the true cause of the plague, doctors of the time, wearing beaked masks filled with herbs, could do little but watch the devastation.
Did you know??