The Culprits

The Famine of 1315-1317 Climate changes in Europe produced

three years of crop failures between 1315-17 because of excessive rain.

Caused many to starve One consequence of starvation &

povertywas susceptibility to disease.

1347: Plague Reaches

Constantinople!

The Symptoms

Bulbous

Septicemic Form:

almost 100% mortality rate.

From the Toggenburg Bible, 1411

The Disease CycleFlea drinks rat blood

that carries the bacteria.

Flea’s gut cloggedwith bacteria.

Bacteriamultiply inflea’s gut.

Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into human wound.

Human is infected!

Person to Person transmission of plague is possible via large aerosol droplets (coughing of sneezing)

Medieval Art & the Plague

Medieval Art & the Plague

Bring out your dead!

Medieval Art & the Plague

An obsession with death.

Boccaccio in The Decameron

The victims ate lunch with their friends and

dinner with their ancestors.

The Danse Macabre

Attempts to Stop the Plague

A Doctor’s Robe

“Leeching”

Lancing a Buboe

Attempts to Stop the Plague

Flagellanti:Self-inflicted “penance” for our

sins!

Attempts to Stop the PlaguePograms against the

Jews

“Jew” hat

“Golden Circle” obligatory badge

Death Triumphant !:A Major Artistic

Theme

A Little Macabre Ditty“A sickly season,” the

merchant said,“The town I left was filled with dead,and everywhere these queer red fliescrawled upon the corpses’ eyes,eating them away.”

“Fair make you sick,” the merchant said,“They crawled upon the wine and bread.Pale priests with oil and books,bulging eyes and crazy looks,dropping like the flies.”

A Little Macabre Ditty (2)“I had to laugh,” the merchant

said,“The doctors purged, and dosed, and bled;“And proved through solemn disputation“The cause lay in some constellation.“Then they began to die.”“First they sneezed,” the merchant said,“And then they turned the brightest red,Begged for water, then fell back.With bulging eyes and face turned black,they waited for the flies.”

A Little Macabre Ditty (3)“I came away,” the merchant

said,“You can’t do business with the dead.“So I’ve come here to ply my trade.“You’ll find this to be a fine brocade…”And then he sneezed……….!

The Mortality

Rate35% - 70%

25,000,000 dead !!!

What were thepolitical,

economic,and social

effectsof the Black

Death??

Hundred Years’ War

Hundred Years’ War• Fight between France and England

over the control of the French Throne, territory and English Channel

• War lasted from 1337-1453• The war started in May 1337 when

King Philip VI of France attempted to confiscate the English territories in the duchy of Aquitaine (located in Southwestern France).

• Early English victories because of better weapons technology (Long Bow)

Joan of Arc• Saint Joan of Arc or

The Maid of Orléans is considered a national heroine of France and a Catholic saint

• She led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War which paved the way for the coronation of King Charles VII of France.

Joan of Arc and end of war

• YouTube - Joan of Arc - Maid of Heaven Trailer with Music

• She was captured by the English and burned at the stake when she was nineteen years old.

• Hundred Years war ended in July 1453 when the French finally expelled the English from the continent (except for Calais).

Causes

• English Ruler want to retain French Lands.

• French Kings want to extend

their power.

• Both want to control the

English Channel.

• Both want to control trade.

Hundred Years’ War

• England wins battles due to

longbow.

• Joan of Arc leads French

Armies.

• Joan’s execution rallies

the French.

Effects• French Monarchs

grow stronger.

• English Parliament gains “power of

the purse.”

• English turn to trading ventures.

• Castles and knights cannot

stand up to cannon and

longbow.

• Monarchs need armies, not feudal

vassals.

Cause and Effects of the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453))