the 14th century brought many changes to Europe and the world as it was known at the time. The Plague or Black Death as it is known drastically impacted the world as it was known. Trade routes carried this plague from China to Russia and everything in between. The effects of this illness was severe and often effected whole families and towns. Some towns lost as much as 75% of their population over several outbreaks of the plague. Many people don not realize that the Bubonic Plague was not just a medieval illness. This plague is still known in the modern world.
I find it very interesting that the common children's rhyme "Ring around the Rosy" is believed to be referring to the lesions and the rapid mortality of the disease. The words of this song when thought of in this context are very morbid and it is hard to believe that children are taught this rhyme regularly. "Ring around the Rosy Pocket full of posies Ashes Ashes we all fall down" What a thought to share with young children...
I found a very interesting article dated May 10, 2004 by Carmen Walker of National Geographic. This article suggests that the plague might have originated in the Nile region Several thousand years before the major outbreak in Europe. The theory presented is that the Nile Rats were the original carriers and that Fleas are native to Egypt and were the first parasite of the Nile River Rats. The article also discusses that the Plague has become more common in recent years and during the 90's it showed the most presence in the Island nation of Madagascar. Which to this day sees 500 to 2000 cases per year. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0310_040310_blackdeath.html
The CDC has information available to the public regarding the Bubonic plague. On their website they talk about and list high risk regions were rodents are more prone to carry the plague. These areas include the Western United States, southern Africa and Middle Asia. This website also includes countries that reported the plague between 1970 and 1998. This list includes the United States, Brazil, China, India and South Africa just to name just a few. The last significant urban outbreak listed by the CDC in the United States was in the LA area in 1924-1925. The United States averages 10-15 reported cases of the Plague each year with the World Health Organization reporting 1000 to 3000 documented cases world wide each year.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/
I find it interesting that historically the Bubonic Plague has had major ramifications on the world population which also impacted the culture and structure of living in the 14th century and very few people realise it still exist to this day. Every person who owns pets (a common practice in the US) has a possibility of being exposed to the Bubonic Plague. That sure makes me want to make sure my cats have up to date flea medicine at all times.
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I wrote my blog this week based on my assumptions about the dark ages. I always thought that this time period was referred to as that. It struck me as odd that the reading focused on somesort of renaisance during this time. I posed the question "where did the dark ages come from?" If I had read your blog first, I might have changed my ideas early on. I think the illnesses of these times helped to hinder the inetllect that had begun to accrue. Thanks for the insight.
Lindsay, wrt the rosies, see this at snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/rosie.htm
I agree with the article. In fact, just about every nursery rhyme or fairy tale that folks think of as belonging to the Middle Ages either cannot be dated at all, or can be dated to a post-medieval period. Folks just like to think of it as medieval because it fits with their stereotype of the era.
Dr Knox, Thanks for that link in response to my post. I got the reference to this through another article I read, I believe it was in the National Geographic Article I listed. But that is great information to know.
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