Page 50 - All About History - Issue 29-15

England 14th century

Keep yourself clean, healthy
and fit. The plague strikes
those at their most frail – if
you stay in good health, you’re more
likely to be spared.
FIG.01
Look out for symptoms.
Black spots on the skin,
buboes in the groin, neck and
armpit, a fever and vomiting blood are
alltelltalesignsyouhavetheplague.

Make sure you’re ready to
leave at a moment’s notice.
The quicker you can escape
when the plague hits, the better your
chancesofsurvival.
riginating in central Asia, the Black Death no idea where the illness has come from or Keep your spirits up. Plague-
has travelled along the Silk Road and hit how it is spreading. In a time when religious ridden Medieval Europe is one
central Europe at rapid and unstoppable fervour is rampant, people have looked to the of the worst places to be in
Ospeed. By June 1348, it has reached heavens for an answer, and their faith in the history, but those who survive will live
England,whichisintheprocessofevolving church has been rocked after receiving none. well into their 70s and 80s.
intoaformidablepower.However,thecountry With no way of fighting it, the plague has
i l l d f h di d idl d i hi h d Go near London for any
reason. It is a breeding
ground for filth, disease and
death. It’s just not worth the risk.

Prescribe to any of the
whacky cures or
preventions offered by
plague doctors. None of them work.
Pay your respects to the
dead. Many bodies are left to
FIG.02 rot in houses, and those that
WHERE TO STAY are disposed of are done so crudely.
Bother trying to escape to
thedisease.Ifjustonepersonbringsthe spread rapidly in large cities like London, and elsewhere in Europe.
plaguetoeventhemostremoteofvillages, also places with continental links, such as East Virtually the entire continent
itcandevastateitinamatterofweeks.The Anglia.Itisadvisabletofindawayintoplaces is ravaged, and some European
geographical spread of the disease is fairly like Hartlebury Castle in Worcestershire. The countries, like France, Spain and Italy,
even all over England, but survivors are often estate only has a 19 per cent mortality rate, are suffering worse than England.
thoseinhighersocietywhoareabletoescape far lower than the average, and the castle is
assoonastheplaguehits.It’sagoodideato a heavily fortified manor house, perfect for
avoid squalid and dirty places and stick to keeping plague-ridden peasants away.
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