Origin, spread and nature of the plague
In what part of the world did the Black Death start or originate?
A) Central Asia
B) North Africa
C) Western Europe
D) South America
A) Central Asia
What was the name of the group of people who travelled from town to town publicly whipping themselves in the hope of receiving God's forgiveness for their sins and deliverance from the pestilence?
The Flagellants.
Approximately what fraction of Europe's population was killed by the plague?
A) 1/2
B) 1/3
C) 1/4
D) 1/5
B) 1/3
In what year did the Black Death first arrive in Europe?
1347.
Which minority group were accused of deliberately poisoning wells, leading to thousands being murdered?
The Jews.
Did the Church gain or lose power after the Black Death?
Lose.
Within how many days did most people die from the Black Death?
Three days.
During the final stages of a victim's suffering, their speech was slurred and they staggered about in convulsions. What did observers call this phase?
Hint: It was also a play aimed to show that the Black Death made everyone equal.
The Danse Macabre, or the dance of death.
One effect of the Black Death was that peasants/serfs were able to demand wages or find work elsewhere because of the shortage of workers. This could be called the collapse of which system?
The feudal system.
Why did the Black Death spread so quickly throughout Europe?
- Trade routes
- Cramped, dirty European cities.
How did people know if somebody inside a house had the plague?
Cross marked on the door.
Approximately how long would it take for the population of Europe to reach the size it had been in 1347?
200 years.
The Black Death had three variations. Which one was the deadliest?
Septicemic.
How did the "Bechini" people, who dressed in red robes with red masks, react to the Black Death?
They pillaged homes, murdered and raped women.
What was a major reason for the improvement of medical knowledge after the decline of the Church's power?
Doctors could now study corpses to understand how the human body worked.