Natural Disasters of the 14Natural Disasters of the 14thth CenturyCentury

The Great Famine (1315-The Great Famine (1315-1317) 1317)

The Black Death (1346-1351)The Black Death (1346-1351)

1414thth Century Disasters: Century Disasters: Human and Natural Human and Natural

Avignon PapacyAvignon Papacy Great SchismGreat Schism Hundred Years WarHundred Years War Great FamineGreat Famine Black DeathBlack Death

ConsequencesConsequences

Europe experiences tremendous Europe experiences tremendous strainsstrains

Become aware of new vulnerabilities Become aware of new vulnerabilities Famine and plague cause millions of Famine and plague cause millions of

deaths deaths Many challenge old institutions Many challenge old institutions Many more doubt traditional values Many more doubt traditional values Calamities altered the path of Calamities altered the path of

European development European development

The Great Famine of 1315The Great Famine of 1315

800 to 1300 AD - the total 800 to 1300 AD - the total production of Europe had production of Europe had increased steadilyincreased steadily

local food shortages - people did local food shortages - people did die of starvation die of starvation

standard of living in Western standard of living in Western Europe had risen even while the Europe had risen even while the population had steadily increased population had steadily increased

14th century14th century

the population so large that the the population so large that the land could provide enough land could provide enough resources only under the best of resources only under the best of conditionsconditions

no margin for crop failures or no margin for crop failures or harvest shortfallsharvest shortfalls

climate underwent a slight change, climate underwent a slight change, cooler and wetter summers and cooler and wetter summers and earlier autumn stormsearlier autumn storms

Wet spring 1315, 1316, 1317Wet spring 1315, 1316, 1317

ConsequencesConsequences

Europeans malnourishedEuropeans malnourished 10-15% die of 10-15% die of pneumonia, pneumonia,

bronchitis, tuberculosis, and other bronchitis, tuberculosis, and other sicknessessicknesses

Fewer mouths to feedFewer mouths to feed Nobles and peasants alike sufferNobles and peasants alike suffer Recovery begins by 1325Recovery begins by 1325

What Fairy Tales SuggestWhat Fairy Tales Suggest

The Mouse Tower of Bingen Hansel and Gretel

An Essay on PopulationAn Essay on Population

Thomas Malthus Thomas Malthus (1766-1834),(1766-1834),

Arithmetic vs Arithmetic vs geometric increasegeometric increase

the population of a the population of a region will eventually region will eventually increase until there increase until there are not sufficient are not sufficient resources to support resources to support it it

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

ProductionPopulation

The Black Death of 1347-The Black Death of 1347-13511351

revival of commerce and trade = revival of commerce and trade = more movement of people more movement of people

merchants travelled to regions merchants travelled to regions from which they could bring both from which they could bring both profitable wares and contagious profitable wares and contagious diseasedisease

hot water a luxury and personal hot water a luxury and personal hygiene substandard hygiene substandard

The Course of the Black The Course of the Black DeathDeath

The DiseaseThe Disease

transmitted primarily by fleas and transmitted primarily by fleas and ratsrats

three forms:three forms: bubonicbubonic [infection of the lymph system [infection of the lymph system

60% fatal] 60% fatal] pneumonicpneumonic [respiratory infection -- [respiratory infection --

about 100% fatal] about 100% fatal] septicaemicsepticaemic [infection of the blood and [infection of the blood and

probably 100% fatal]probably 100% fatal]

Impact on the ChurchImpact on the Church

Church can’t protect Christians from the Church can’t protect Christians from the ravages of the plagueravages of the plague

The Avignon Papacy “The Babylonian The Avignon Papacy “The Babylonian Captivity”Captivity”

The Great SchismThe Great Schism ConciliarismConciliarism Councils of Pisa (1409) and Councils of Pisa (1409) and

Constance(1415)Constance(1415)

Personal PathsPersonal Paths

Brethren of the Common LifeBrethren of the Common Life MysticsMystics Reforming PrincesReforming Princes HereticsHeretics

Wycliffe who’s protectedWycliffe who’s protected Jan Huss who’s NOTJan Huss who’s NOT

Images and Rhymes Images and Rhymes

Ring around the rosie,Ring around the rosie,A pocketful of posie,A pocketful of posie,

Ashes, ashesAshes, ashesAll fall down! All fall down!

http://us.imdb.com/Trailers?0050976&screenplay&E13837&5&3

  "How many valiant men, how many fair ladies, breakfast with their kinfolk and the same night supped with their ancestors in the next world! The condition of the people was pitiable to behold. They sickened by the thousands daily, and died unattended and without help. Many died in the open street, others dying in their houses, made it known by the stench of their rotting bodies. Consecrated churchyards did not suffice for the burial of the vast multitude of bodies, which were heaped by the hundreds in vast trenches, like goods in a ships hold and covered with a little earth."

Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron

The Effects of the PlagueThe Effects of the Plague

new attitudes toward death, the value new attitudes toward death, the value of life, and of one's selfof life, and of one's self

growth of class conflictgrowth of class conflict loss of respect for the Churchloss of respect for the Church emergence of a new pietism (personal emergence of a new pietism (personal

spirituality) spirituality) new cultural vigor in Europe new cultural vigor in Europe national languages, rather than Latin, national languages, rather than Latin,

were the vehicle of expression were the vehicle of expression Giovanni Boccaccio's Giovanni Boccaccio's TheThe Decameron Decameron, ,