Religion homework readings response

Infectious Disease

The Plague. In 1348, bubonic plague (Black Death) passed into Europe via trade routes. The effects were devastating. Both

cities and countryside lost between one-third and one-half of the population. Dramatic demographic changes had long-term consequences for Europe’s social situation as a diminished labor force became advantageous to workers and peasants.

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) was an Italian poet whose description of the plague, and the behaviors it evoked in people, is chilling.

The year of our blessed Savior’s Incarnation, 1348, that memorable mortality happened in the excellent city, far beyond the rest

in Italy; which plague, by operation of superior bodies, or rather for our enormous iniquities, by just anger of God was sent

upon mortals. Some few years before, it took beginning in the eastern parts, sweeping thence an innumerable quantity of living

souls, extending itself afterward from place to place until it seized on the city, where neither human skill nor Providence could

use any prevention, besides prohibition of all the sickly persons’ entrance, and all possible provision daily used for conservation

of such as were in health, with incessant prayers and supplications of devout people.

About the beginning of the year it also began in strange manner, as appeared by diverse effects; yet not as it had done in the east

countries, where lord or lady, being touched, manifest signs of inevitable death followed bleeding at the nose. But here it began

with young children, male and female, under the armpits or in the groin, by certain swellings, in some to the bigness of an

apple, in others like an egg, in which in their vulgar language they termed to be a botch or boil. In very short time after, those

infected parts were grew death-bearing, and would disperse to all parts of the body; after, it was a quality of the disease to show

itself by black or blue spot, which would appear on the arms, thighs and every part of the body.

As the boil was an assured sign of approaching death, so proved the spots likewise…it seemed that physician's counsel, virtue

of medicines, or any application could not yield any remedy…not only few were healed, but well-near all died within three days

after the signs were seen, some sooner, and others later—without either fever or any other accident.

And this pestilence was yet of far greater power or violence. For not only healthful persons speaking to the sick, coming to see

them, or airing clothes in kindness to comfort them, was an occasion of ensuing death; but touching their garments or any food

whereon the sick person fed, or anything else used in his service, seemed to transfer disease from the sick to the healthy. Among

which matter of marvel, let me tell you, which if the eyes of many, as well as mine own, had not seen, hardly could I be

persuaded to write it much less to believe it: the quality of this contagious pestilence extended further that clothes, or anything

else wherein one died of that disease, being touched or lain on by any beast, died very soon after.

Mine own eyes…had evident experience: some poor ragged clothes of linen and woolen [were] torn from a wretched body dead

and hurled in the open street; two swine going by—according to their natural inclination-seeking for food on every dunghill,

tossed and tumbled the clothes with their snouts, rubbing their heads upon them, and immediately, each turning twice or thrice,

they both fell down dead on the clothes, as being fully infected with the contagion of them.

Some there were who considered with themselves that abstinence from all luxury would be a sufficient resistance against all

hurtful accidents; so combining themselves in a sociable manner, they lived as separatists from all other company, being shut up

in such houses where no sick body should be near them. And there, for their more security, they used delicate foods and

excellent wines, avoiding luxury and refusing speech to one another, not looking forth at the windows to hear any cries of dying

people, or see any corpses carried to burial; but, having musical instruments, lived there in all possible pleasure. Others were of

a contrary opinion, who avouched that there was no other physic more certain than to drink hard, be merry among themselves—

singing continually, walking everywhere, and satisfying their appetites with whatsoever they desired, laughing and mocking at

every mournful accident; and so they vowed to spend day and night, for now they would go to one tavern, then to another,

living without any rule or measure, which they might very easily do, because every one of them—as if he were to live no longer

in this world—had even forsaken all things that he had. Yet in all this their beastly behavior they were wise enough to shun the

weak and sickly. In misery and affliction of our city, the venerable authority of the laws, as well divine as human, was even

destroyed, as it were, through want of the lawful ministers of them. For they were all dead or lying sick, or else lived so solitary,

in such great necessity of servants, as they could not execute any office; whereby it was lawful for everyone to do as he listed.

Between these two rehearsed extremities of life there were other of more moderate temper, not being so daintily dieted as the

first, nor drinking so dissolutely as the second; but used all things sufficient for their appetites, and without shutting up

themselves, walked abroad—some carrying sweet nosegays of flowers in their hands, others odoriferous herbs, and other divers

kinds of spiceries, holding them to their noses, and thinking them most comfortable for the brain, because the air seemed to be

much infected by the noisome smell of dead carcasses. Some other there were also of more inhuman mind, saying there was no

better physic against the pestilence as to fly away from it; caring for nobody but themselves, very many, both men and women,

forsook the city, their own house, their parents, kindred, friends, and goods, flying to other dwellings.

Let it stand, that one citizen fled after another, and one neighbor had not any care of another; parents or kindred never visiting

them, but utterly they were forsaken on all sides. This tribulation pierced into the hearts of men, and with such a dreadful terror,

that one brother forsook another, the uncle the nephew, the sister the brother, and the wife her husband. Nay, a matter much

greater, and almost incredible, fathers and mothers fled away from their own children, even as if they had no way appertained to

them; in regard whereof it could be no otherwise but that a countless multitude of men and women fell sick, finding no charity

among their friends, except a very few, and subject to the avarice of servants, who attended them constrainedly, for great and

unreasonable wages. Yet few of those attendants to be found anywhere too, and they were men or women but of base condition,

as also of grosser understanding, who never before had served in any such necessities, nor indeed were any way else to be

employed, but to give the sick person such things as he called for, or to await the hour of his death, in the performance of which

service, oftentimes for gain, they lost their own lives. In this extreme calamity, the sick being thus forsaken of neighbors,

kindred, and friends, standing also in such need of servants, a custom came up among them, never heard before, that there was

not any woman, how noble, young, or fair she was, but, falling sick, she must of necessity have a man to attend her, were he

young or otherwise; whereon ensued afterward, that upon the party's healing and recovery, it was occasion of further dishonesty,

while many, being more modestly curious of, refused such disgraceful attending, choosing rather to die than by such help to be

healed. In regard whereof, as well through the want of convenient remedies (which the sick by no means could attain unto), as

also the violence of the contagion, the multitude of them that died night and day was so great, that it was a dreadful sight to

behold, and as much to hear spoken of. So that mere necessity (among them that remained living) begat new behaviors, quite

contrary to all which had been in former times, and frequently used among city inhabitants. The custom

of the present days was that women, kindred, neighbors, and friends would meet together at the deceased party's house, and

there, with them that were of nearest alliance, express their hearts' sorrow for their friend's loss. If not thus, they would assemble

before the door, with many of the citizens and kindred, and, according to the quality of the deceased, the clergy met there

likewise, and the dead body was carried in comely manner on men's shoulders, with funeral pomp of torchlight and singing, to

the church appointed by the deceased. But these seemly orders, after the fury of the pestilence began to increase, they in like

manner altogether ceased, and other new customs came in their place, because not only people died without having any women

about them, but multitudes also passed out of this life not having any witness how, when, or in what manner they departed. Very

few also would accompany the body to the grave, and they not any of the neighbours, although it had been an honourable

citizen, but only the meanest kind of people, such as were gravemakers, coffin-bearers, or the like, that did these services only

for money; and the bier being mounted on their shoulders, in all haste they would run away with it, not perhaps to the church

appointed by the dead, but to the nearest at hand, having four or six poor priests following, with lights or no lights, and those of

the simplest; short service being said at the burial and the body irreverently thrown in the first open grave they found. Great

store there were that died in the streets, by day or night, and many more besides, although they died in their houses; yet first

they made it known to their neighbours that their lives perished rather by the noisome smell of the dead and putrefied bodies,

than by any violence of the disease in themselves. So that of these and the rest, dying in this manner everywhere, the neighbours

observed one course of behaviour (moved thereto no less by fear that the smell and corruption of dead bodies should harm

them, than charitable respect of the dead), that themselves when they could, or being assisted by some bearers of corpses, when

they were able to procure them, would hale the dead bodies out of their houses, laying them before their doors, where such as

passed by in the mornings, might see them lying in no mean numbers. Afterward, biers were brought, and have been observed

not only to be charged with two or three dead bodies at once, but many times it was seen the wife with the husband, two or three

brethren together, have thus been carried to the grave upon one bier. Moreover, oftentimes it hath been seen that when two

priests went with one cross to fetch the body, there would follow behind three or four bearers with their biers, and when the

priest intended the burial but of one body, six or eight more have made up the advantage, and yet none of them being attended

by any seemly company, lights, tears, or the very least decency; but it plainly appeared that the very like account was then made

of men or women as if they had been dogs or swine. Wherein might manifestly be noted, that what the natural course of things

could not show to the wise with few and small losses—to wit, the patient support of miseries and misfortunes, even in their

greatest height— not only the wise might now learn, but also the very simplest people, and in such sort that they should always

be prepared against all infelicities whatsoever. Hallowed ground could not now suffice for the great multitude of dead bodies

which were daily brought to every church in the city, and every hour in the day. Neither could the bodies have proper places of

burial, according to our ancient custom; wherefore after that the churches and churchyards

were filled, they were constrained to make use of great deep ditches, wherein they were

buried by hundreds at once, ranking dead bodies along in graves, as merchandises are laid

along in ships, covering each after other with a small quantity of earth; and so they filled

up at last the whole ditch to the brim.

Source: Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio: including forty of its hundred novels, trans. Henry Morley (London: G. Routledge and Sons, 1886), 10-14.

Text modified by Brenda Llewellyn Ihssen

In another take on life and death, in the image below a skeleton accompanies an elderly

woman. Beneath her feet reads “Death is better than Life.” If you were a medieval elderly

woman in a society that things that elderly women were gross and possibly wicked and

definitely useless, then that sentiment might be true.