The main culprit of the spread was the poor hygiene, however, the real species that are the cause of this potential wipeout, are the rats and other infected rodents that resided in the area. The Black Death was not the only pandemic going around Europe, other diseases include syphilis and gonorrhea. This epidemic caused panic and distress among people of all classes. There would have been no money coming into Theater companies and therefore no money for the Elizabethan actors. Disease and plagues killed major parts of the population, the bubonic plague, for example, claimed the lives of perhaps a third of Europes population in five years. Elizabethan Physicians adopted protective costumes against the disease in the 16th century. In 1500 there was around 2.5 million people in England. It was a terrible spectacle and death followed suit. Amulets of dried blood and ground-up toads were worn at the waists of the Elizabethan Physicians. How did the black death spread so quickly? Bristol was an important European port and city in England during the Medieval era. Common Religion and Religious Diversity in Elizabethan England, We March on our stomachs a dishefull of snowe, Elizabethan Ireland as Seen by Elizabethan England, Defining Witchcraft in Elizabethan England. A ship came from China that brought rats infested with fleas, carrying the plague to Sicily. This was not, however, the true beginning of the epidemic. Vinegar was widely used as a cleansing agent as it was believed that it would kill disease. The victims would often die within two to four days. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Elizabethan Medicine was extremely basic in an era when terrible illnesses such as the Bubonic Plague (Black Death ) were killing nearly one third of the population. Within a few days, the deadly plague spread in Sicily and other parts of Europe. To support these quarantine measures, every infected community appointed officials both to provide food and essentials to the afflicted households, and also to make sure their residents stayed put. It was almost uncontrollable as technological development and advancement in the arena of medicine was really less then. There are so many fantastic photographers that visit the shows that we perform at and take absolutely beautiful photographs. In addition to these general orders for containing the spread of plague, the Elizabethan state targeted specific threats as well. The age of Shakespeare was a great time in English history. Middle Ages hygiene was extremely basic in terms of the disposal of waste products and garbage. While everyone knows the plague was an awful way to die, not many people are aware of how truly horrendous the symptoms were. The plague was similar to diseases today because it was not curable similar to Aids. Features of this era include hauntings, witch hangings, coin money, and class distinctions. The plague caused many to question their religious outlook, the lack of knowledge caused false cures to develop and affected the interactions throughout Europe. In mid-fourteenth century Europe a plague (also known as the Black Death) appeared in which the first wave killed millions of people. To fully understand what witches went through during the Elizabethan Age in England, you need to realize how troubled life was for the common people. Medical treatment for stomach pains and sickness was with wormwood, mint, and balm. It was a terrible spectacle and death followed suit.the Black death. Many peasants died from the disease, probably from their poor diets and lack of nourishment. Queen Elizabeth was terrified of the disease and implemented quarantine measures to try to ensure the safety of herself and her courtiers. However, personal hygiene was better than the perception of Middle Ages Hygiene. A ship had arrived in Europe with many people that had the Black Death. Information about the Closure of the Elizabethan Globe Theater due the Black Death or the Bubonic PlagueThere were three very serious outbreaks of the diseasewhich led to the closure of all places of Elizabethan entertainment, including the Globe Theater. Threats of imprisonment were made as encouragement to undertake these tasks and this consequence was suffered by anyone who refused the role. It only took about twenty-three days from the point of infection for the plague to be fatal (Benedictow). The outbreak lasted until around 1352. Workers were in high demand and the peasants knew it. For all the steps Elizabethans took to contain it, plague would remain a major fixture of English life up into the Restoration, with the last major outbreak hitting in 1665. 20 July 2012. William Shakespeare and the Black Death / Bubonic PlagueWilliam Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan era when the bubonic plague, sometimes referred to as the Black Death, was virulent. While it is true that the living conditions in Europe at this time were not ideal, this was not the real reason for the spread of the disease. Although this first outbreak was certainly the most dramatic, the "plague" did not simply disappear after 1349. Popular medieval scholar Petrarch lost his lady love Laura to Black Death. The London streets were dark, narrow and dangerous and slow to travel through. The plague caused many to question their religious outlook, the lack of knowledge caused false cures to develop and affected the interactions throughout Europe. The Bubonic plague (Black Death) was always caught or spread from an infected animal or person. The Black Death killed most of the aforementioned peasants, so the fields they were expected to farm on were left unplowed. Why did the Black Death kill so many people in the 14th century? Nearly half of the people who contracted the infection died from it, resulting in a loss of 25-60 percent of Europe's entire population. The Bubonic Plague: The Black Death Modern genetic analyses indicate that the strain of Y. pestis introduced during the Black Death is . Plague is an extremely infectious and vile disease caused by a bacteria known as Yersinia Pestis. The Black Death Elizabethan Pesthouses were established, a few miles away from the infected areas, where the victims would be sent. The disease could also be air bound and transmitted from an infected person's breath. It started to spread from Eastern China, to Europe in the early 1300s, and it reoccurred multiple times during the years to come. Finally in the 1600's people believed it had disappeared for good. . From regular cleanings and exams to restorative procedures like tooth-colored fillings, we offer all the dental treatments you might need to improve your oral health. Drawn by England's budding economy, merchants . It's population was growing continuously with poor people moving from the country to London in search of work. Originating in Asia, it spread west along the trade routes across Europe and arrived on the British Isles from the English province of Gascony. The Black Death entered south-western England in Summer 1348 and by all accounts struck Bristol with shocking force. There were Elizabethan surgeons, but these had a similar reputation to the barbers and the usual route that most people took was to visit the apothecary, or dispenser of drugs. Information regarding the handling of the Bubonic plague (Black Death), symptoms, medical treatment and cure used during the Elizabethan era are fully described below. . The pair barricaded themselves inside to protect their 3-month-old son . Here are five incredible facts about the life of cats in Elizabethan England, that are so bizarre, you'll hardly believe it's true. Did the epidemic really eradicate a third of Europe's population? Medieval towns had no system of drains, sewers or trash collections. It is both fascinating and grotesque, so it is no wonder people are still intrigued by it today. The illness also produced in the victim an intense desire to sleep, which, if yielded to, quickly proved fatal. The plague/Black Death first popped up the the 13th century. So begins this poem which Nashe wrote in 1593, when an outbreak of bubonic plague closed the London playhouses (Shakespeare would take advantage of the closure to write his narrative poems Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, and probably most of his sonnets . London's first cases of plague were noticed in August. Trade connections got weakened. In fact, it was not even the first. The Black Death arrived in Europe on October 1348 when 12 Genoese trading ships arrived at the Sicilian port of Messina after a long journey through the Black Sea. The penalties for this were varied and severe. It was like a terrifying killer was let loose all across Europe. Upon receiving the Orders, the justices of the peace of every county were commanded to assemble to determine where infections were already occurring, what sorts of communities these places were, and their wealth. It was an act 'agaynst Conjuracions Inchauntmentes and Witchecraftes'. It was at pandemic or epidemic proportions in England and Europe for roughly four years. The Black Death was the deadliest epidemic of bubonic plague in history, wiping out some 25 million Europeans alone in just a few years. The black plague, also called the Black Death, began in East Asia then traveled to Europe . This may have contributed to the rise of capitalism. She became queen when she was 1 week old because her father died. When she was a kid, she spent a lot of time in France. The plague was the most devastating disease in world history. One of the names for the plague was "The Pestilence." This particular epidemic claimed between a quarter and a third of the total Elizabethan London population. First of all, the Black Death influenced the way people lived in Medieval Europe. There was no town cleansing department in the Elizabethan era. The Black Plague Physicians tried to treat the buboes and swelling by lancing and then applying a hot poultice made of butter, garlic, and onions. Rate this book. It was the first and most severe manifestation of the second pandemic, caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria.The term Black Death was not used until the late 17th century.. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The medieval medicines, herbs, and potions were useless against the dark power of bubonic plague. The Elizabethan era was truly a dangerous time. Want to Read. Shakespeare lived from 1567 to 1616. In fact, the social law and orders were being violated, the administrative protocols, the dispensational rules could not at all stand firm owing to this crisis that separated families, friends relatives. Many people at the time believed that the Plague was a result of the release of "bad air" from the ground, due to earthquakes nearby. Survivors of the Black Death felt that they were special, chosen specifically by God to be saved (Trueman), and after this the lower class began to demand more economic and social equality. In this way, Elizabeths government could monitor and address major plague outbreaks with relative detail and accuracy. That the London authorities had a pattern of using the threat of contagion as a pretext for shutting undesirables out of town and conveniently forbidding public assembly at times of civil unrest no doubt fed into these concerns. Facts about Life in Elizabethan England 8: the diet of the poor people The poor people ate a small portion of meat for it was expensive. Peasants realized they could move from village to village, constantly switching to whichever proprietor offered them the best deal. The physicians of the medieval period had no idea what caused the plague and there was no definite cure. The reality, as it usually is, was somewhat messier. Quotes - Plays - Sonnets - Pictures - Timeline- Facts - Biography - Poems - Bubonic Plague - Globe Biography - Dictionary - Elizabethan Theater - Identity Problem - Biography - Black Death - Stratford. The aim of this fasting and prayer was repentance for sins both personal and communal, on the grounds that if God controls all things, then plague was evidence of his displeasure with the nation. The plague actually began in the Himalayan Mountains of southern Asia in the 1200s. This black plague was spreading almost like a wild forest fire that is unstoppable in nature. Some doctors even tried treatment with arsenic, dried toad or lily roots. The Black Death spread so quickly due to poor hygiene and overcrowding in major cities. At this time, most pandemics were deadly since there was no medicine or technology. After 2,000 people died in London in 1528, the Sweat travelled via ship to Hamburg, Germany, where over a thousand deaths occurred in a month. Fleas living on rats that came from Asia on a trade ship spread the bubonic plague, the septicaemic plague is created by the entrance of bacteria from their multiplying place into the blood vessels. Still others had the infected person sit near a fire or in the sewer in an attempt to drive out the fever with heat. There was a total lack of a structured sewage system in Elizabethan London. Europeans had reacted in various ways towards the black plague like using it as a means to collect money, strengthen beliefs, & causing deaths. Around 650 cases of the Plague are still reported each year, although modern medicine is much more equipped to deal with it. Like every other aspect, the black death had a significant impact on the economy of Europe in medieval times. The third plague pandemic occurred later, in the middle of the 19th century and originated in Eastern Asia. The plague as an actual event figures prominently in only one of Shakespeare's plays. But even so terrible epidemics of Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) during the Elizabethan period still occurred. Today, we know that there were many causes of the Black Death. However, the air was not the problem. If you have any The Black Death was not the only pandemic going around Europe, other diseases include syphilis and gonorrhea. Every week, each parish had to report its numbers of infected and dead to the justices of its hundred (the English administrative jurisdiction between parish and county), and said justices were required to meet every week to go over these numbers and assess the situation in their territory. Although monks and nuns were no longer features of the English social and medical landscape, religion remained a major component of the Elizabethan response to plague. Amidst the consequences suffered by those carrying the disease, came the ramifications that those who were not directly affected experienced. People did wash, bath and clean their teeth. During the 16th century, a young couple in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, lost two of their children to the bubonic plague. The Black Plague can be at fault for this horrific tragedy. The summers and winters were harsh not helping with the crop harvesting. The terrible outbreak of the Black Death made Medieval people look for a link between health and hygiene. Due to a severe labor shortage, serf survivors were able to demand higher wages and better working conditions from their new landlords. Due to the food shortages and closure of businesses those who were not struck down by the Bubonic plague (Black Death) often resorted to stealing from the dead bodies. The Globe Theatre was built between 1597 and 1599 in Southwark on the south bank of London's River Thames, funded by Richard Burbage and built by carpenter Peter Smith and his workers. Victims also suffered a very high fever, delirium, the victim begins to vomit, muscular pains, bleeding in the lungs and mental disorientation. Author bio: Michael Lowry Lamble holds an MA in Medieval and Renaissance History from Loyola University Chicago and is currently pursuing an MA in Museology from the University of Washington. Of those who contracted the bubonic plague, 4 out of 5 died within eight days. The primary pneumonic plague infects people by droplet infection from human to human being. Black Death reigned terror till the mid 14th century. People formed communities, isolated from each other. Elizabethan England: A huge part of any renaissance era is the arts. The Black Death was a very rough time and harmful, with the population dropping 1/3, having the economy being poor because of inflation, and people being afraid to walk to streets, The Black Death or what scientist call it The Bubonic Plague. Soon after China, the outbreak of bubonic plague spread all over Europe and Western parts of Asia. As the name implies, the Black Death was more often than not a death sentence. A preservative against the pestilence Historical scientists suggest that the medieval outbreak of Black Death seemed to agree with the weather conditions in Asia and not the European climate. It was one of the worst epidemics in history; the Black Plague hit some villages while skipping over others, but sources report it wiped out a third of Europe's population in a matter of a few years. There were high mortality rates amongst Elizabethan children and this was true of the brothers and sisters of Shakespeare some of whom were struck down by the Bubonic plague (Black Death). The dead were to be buried in a secluded part of the graveyard at twilight, to minimize the chances of passersby contracting plague from the bodies. In the orders to pray and fast, the Elizabethan religious authorities included stipulations that indicate an awareness that although plague was undoubtedly the wrath of God, there was nevertheless a physical component to the disease. They also laid out a groundwork for an effective and coordinated response to the plague. But how much do you know about the Black Plague? Information about the Spread of the Elizabethan Black Death or the Bubonic Plague in Elizabethan EnglandThere were repeated outbreaks of the disease during the Elizabethan era and these outbreaks were often transmitted by the fleas that lived on rodents and animals, especially rats. Information about the Role of the Watchmen and Death Cart LabourersThe Elizabethan Watchmen and the death cart labourers were, not surprisingly, very well paid. Sicily was then overcome by the disease and it spread through the trade routes all over Europe. Doctors at the time were extremely busy, and -- unfortunately -- completely ill-equipped to deal with the Plague. Medieval towns had no system of drains, sewers or trash collections. In response to this, the government passed the Statute of Labourers in 1351 that forced peasants to remain in their homelands and did not allow lords to change their wages from what they were in 1346. Merchant ships and rodents were the two main ways this disease spread and infected humans (The Black Death 1348). Also spurting wage demands created an abysmal situation in Europe then. There was a great deal of backlash to the measures taken to halt the spread of plague. Do you want to advertise on Facty.com?Lets talk aboutthis! The bubonic plague, known to most as the Black Death, had such a powerfully negative impact upon the witches and warlocks living during this time. One of the worst outbreaks of smallpox occurred two years before Shakespeare's birth, in 1562. These rodents spread the Bubonic plague from China to Europe and lastly, it hit Britain in 1348. .adslot_1 { width: 300px; height: 250px; } In England the rodent affected was the black rat, Rattus rattus. Rodents, fleas and plague-infected people showed up in the major. Although this might sound pointless today, these precautions would have protected the Elizabethan Physician. In an indirect way, the Black Death led to the abolishment of the feudal system and more freedom for the. Because living conditions were often cramped and dirty, humans lived in close contact with rats. When the Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) broke out in London in 1563, Queen Elizabeth I moved her court to Windsor Castle where she erected gallows and ordered that anyone coming from London was to be hanged - so great was the fear of the plague and avoiding any spread of it to her court. Authorities in Sicily ordered the fleet of death ships to leave the harbor, but it was too late. So many times we are tagged in these photos, shared them with friends, or find them randomly online. The Black Death began its long, sweeping journey through Europe in 1348 (some reports say it was actually in October of 1347). Inadequate hygiene standards added to the problem and spread of the disease. The Black Death began in the Himalayan Mountains of South Asia in the 1200s. The Black Death The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, was a disease that devastated Medieval Europe, between 1346 and 1352 it killed 45 million people, wiping out a third of Europe's population. The world at large combated against the deadly outbreak of bubonic plague that first hit the Asian country of China in the year 1330. The plague bacillus is carried from rat to rat by the bite of the rat flea. The Black Death of October 1347 to c1352 was one of the worst catastrophes in recorded history - a deadly bubonic plague that ravaged communities across Europe, changing forever their social and economic fabric. During the mid-fourteenth century, a plague hit Europe. 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