The Black Death in Europe

A mid-fourteenth century, mankind endured one of the greatest demographic disasters in

its history. A large epidemic from 1347-1350 struck nearly the entire European continent,
was an epidemic of bubonic plague. During the Middle Ages, diseases spread very quickly
because not all the advances in the medical field we have in today's society.

The human being could only rely on their immune system to defend itself from attack by
viruses and bacteria. Logically is this time epidemics were spreading very quickly and also
hygiene measures in emerging and overcrowded cities were poor and food used to be quite
poor. The concentration of people in pestilential cities, pollution of wells, lack of health
organization, the crowded streets of pigs and rats, the invasion of fleas, were a combination
of factors that contributed to extend cases of typhus, dysentery and influenza.

But among all epidemics that darkened the Middle Ages, it was the bubonic plague, known
as "Black Death" that between 1348 and 1400 devastated the European population.

Supernatural explanation
Given the immense terror that caused this evil unknown, the explanation was sought in the
supernatural. Plague divine punishment for the sins of mortals was considered. In full
despair, perpetrators and victims that calmed the divine wrath were sought. It was said that
Jews and lepers had poisoned wells and a wave of violence unleashed against them.

The men of those times were convinced that rot the soul was reflected in the body, so the
lepers, by his mere bodily appearance, were considered sinners. He also distrusted all
foreigners and pilgrims. Towns and villages closed their walls to protect themselves from
the disease.

Fear of the "other" (whether they be Jews, foreign or lepers) spread, and was as damaging
as the plague because it caused persecution and unjust deaths that hindered further
weakened the resistance of the people. The medical science of the day had beliefs about
how plague victims were contaminated, but certainly not know the transmission
mechanisms: in this way the explanation of an avenging God who punished sinners,
dominated the minds of medieval Europeans.

Epidemic spread of the Black Death

It is not entirely clear where the largest epidemic began fourteenth century, perhaps
somewhere in northern India, but more likely in the steppes of Central Asia, from where it
was carried west by the Mongol armies. The plague was brought to Europe by the route
Crimea, where the Genoese colony Kaffa (Feodosiya) was besieged by the Mongols. History
says that the Mongols launched with catapults infected corpses within the city. The
refugees from Kaffa then took the plague to Messina, Genoa and Venice, around 1347/1348.
Some boats did not carry anyone alive when they reached port. From Italy the plague swept
through Europe affecting France, Spain, England (in June 1348) and Britain, Germany,
Scandinavia and finally north-western Russia around 1351.

It was then thought that the mendicant monks, pilgrims, soldiers returning home were the
vehicle for the introduction of major epidemics from one country to another.

This might be partly true, but it certainly was more dangerous trade as ships came to port
and unloaded with infected rats goods from countries where the disease was endemic. This
was undoubtedly the greatest means of communication.