Responses to the Black Death
The Black Death was terrifying to medieval people. There were various explanations for what was happening and many treatments were tried. However, none were successful.
Medieval beliefs about the causes of the Black Death
Medieval people did not know that the disease was spread through rats and fleas. There were three main beliefs about the Black Death:
- Medieval people believed everything in the world happened because of the will of God. Therefore, many people thought God was punishing them for their Act of rebellion or disobedience against the known will of God in Judaism, Christianity or Islam. or allowing the Devil to test their faith.
- Another popular theory was that plague infected its victims through Smells from decomposing material, such as animal and human waste, that were thought to cause disease. - an invisible poison in the air. Some people believed that the movements of the planets were to blame for turning the air bad. Miasma supposedly made the air smell bad, and it was thought to enter the human body through sweaty skin.
- People said that those people whose Four bodily fluids â yellow bile, black bile, blood and phlegm â used in ancient times to analyse and describe people's state of health. were imbalanced were most likely to catch the disease.
Responses of ordinary people to the Black Death
People tried many things to prevent and cure the Black Death. The methods they tried were based on their beliefs:
Godâs punishment
- People prayed for healing.
- People confessed their sins to a priest.
- People burned candles during prayer.
- A person who would whip themself to show God they were sorry for their sins. Sometimes, people asked flagellants to whip them to demonstrate that they were sorry for their sins. arriving in England from northern Europe whipped their bare backs in procession.
Miasma
- Some people carried bunches of flowers or burned herbs to purify the air.
- Some priests ran away from their parishes - refusing to give funerals to infected bodies. They thought the bodies gave off miasma.
- Rich people in the towns moved to the countryside, seeking pure air.
- Some people shut themselves away.
- Some people avoided hot baths, spicy food and vigorous exercise to prevent miasma getting in through sweaty skin.
Imbalanced humours
- Doctors used The process of bleeding a patient, either by using leeches or by cutting into a vein. and In historical medicine, the act of getting rid of fluid from the body for the purpose of balancing the four humours. Patients might take substances to make them vomit or empty their bowels. to try to rid people of the plague.
±«Óătv-made remedies
People also tried home-made herbal remedies such as applying camomile lotion to An inflamed swelling of a lymph node, especially in the armpit or groin. They are characteristic of certain infections, such as bubonic plague and syphilis. Some people even placed live chickens and toads on them to warm and soften the swellings.
Responses of the authorities to the Black Death
There was a very limited response from the king and his government:
- In April 1349, Edward III wrote to the mayor of London ordering him to clean the cityâs streets.
- The king ordered bishops to organise parades of priests in Englandâs cities. This was to publicly display prayer and to confess everyoneâs sins.
- Some local governments, such as Gloucester, attempted to close their town off, but these attempts were not successful.