The Black Plague In Medieval Europe

The Great Mortality, or Black Plague as it’s more commonly known, had a significant impact on the atmosphere of Medieval Europe. Social and economic institutions crumbled, religious and medical prowess were strained to their absolute limits, and many people suffered extreme psychological trauma. Many historians believe that the plague was what officially marked an end of the so called “dark ages” and provided a platform for the European Renaissance to begin. The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-1350 A Brief History with Documents author John Albreth understands that by the time plague struck, Medieval Europe was already in a weakened state, which presented the opportunity for the European Renaissance to be, “forged in the crucible

Inspired by the torture and flagellation of Jesus Christ, the Flagellants were initially men associated with urban confraternities and guilds in Northern Europe. As time progressed, the Flagellants developed their own group affiliation, and had more stringent procedures. Since many believed that the Black Death was enacted by God to punish people for their sins, self flagellation seemed like a more appealing route to sin redemption during the plague years. As the Flagellants following grew, many members of the Church began to take notice, and condemn the movement. Based on the structure and actions of the Flagellants during the plague years, their might have been more behind their movement than people think. The power of the Church loomed large over the common people in Medieval Europe, and one can speculate that many felt feelings of resentment and anger about this situation. The Flagellants could have merely been extremely pious Christians that were supporting the Church the best way they knew how, or a subtle resistance movement against the strict institutions of the Church. Through the examination of documents written by contemporaries of plague stricken Europe, a conclusion to the true intentions of the Flagellants can be

The Flagellants really tried to emulate the trials and tribulations of Jesus through their actions. This included whipping and torturing themselves to the extreme dismay and sadness of others, sticking to a thirty-three and a half day pilgrimage to reflect the thirty-three and half years of Jesus’s life of Earth, and making sure that they didn’t have a single good day or day they didn’t spill their own blood for the duration of their pilgrimage. Closener also explains that the Flagellants felt that this was the only true way to absolve their sins and receive salvation at that point in time. They reached this conclusion by consulting biblical references, and realizing that Christians hadn’t been following the orders of the Lord. “This is why I ordered the Saracens and other heathens that they shed your blood and take many of you prisoners.” A major component of Closener’s Chronicle was the philosophical disagreement between some priests and clergy, and the Flagellants. Near the beginning of their movement, the Flagellants had the support of the people over Church representatives, but this didn’t remain the case. The Flagellants likely wanted to turn the people against Church, and have more followers of their