The Black Death
The corrosive power of fear is like a slow bubbling acid. Abrasive to the spirit. Burning at the body. Eroding away the mind. Perhaps no time in history has terror held more sway over humanity than in 1346. In that year the black death’s frigid hands gripped everyone in the known world.
If you lived in Europe, Asia, or northern Africa you may have thought the world was coming to an apocalyptic end. Anthropologists and historians say 100 million died. The most conservative estimates put Europe alone at 20 million. People were utterly unprepared for a disaster of this magnitude. It brought unprecedented levels of fear and despair. Utterly baffled the medical community. Caused enormous economic strain and ushered in an age of apathy. Absentmindedly walking around a dead corpse headed to work was a norm. Sadly, life must go on.
The people of the middle ages didn't know the disease was an infectious bacterium now called Yersinia Pestis. They didn’t know it started in Asia. That it was passed along by a blood-sucking flea traveling on the backs of rats. Antibiotics weren’t anywhere near existence and they had no form of resistance. Here we’ll explore the most catastrophic event of all time.
Show Highlights
What was the Black Death?
What were the symptoms of the black death?
What was the impact of the disease?
Who were the prominent writers about the disease?
The real power of fear and its effects on society.
How did people react to the disease in daily life?
The attempted medical response.
Research & Reading List
