How did people try to escape the plague in the fourteenth century?

Answer 1

The Pope himself managed to avoid the plague by sitting in between several huge fires constantly until the danger passed (he was staying in France at the time).

They thought the plague was airborne and that the fires would keep it at bay. Of course, it was discovered centuries later that the plague was carried by fleas who transferred from rats to humans.

So, even though they were wrong about the plague being airborne, the fires did keep the flea-ridden rats away and the Pope survived.

Answer 2

When someone gets sick or dies, they called in the doctor or priest. That is when the plague was identified around the home or town and they'd be quarentined.
A black flag would fly from a home's window till they were sure no-one else there had it.
A town would have signs and flags (since not many could read) to stop people going into town.
Rosaries and relics were sold and bought everywhere.

The neighbouring town would put guards around to kill anyone trying to escape and carry the plague to their dirrection.
To escape, they went through the woods, then walked back towards their town and were stopped on the far side of the roadblock. They'd say they were trying to visit the town so they'd be sent away because the guards thought they came from a disease free area

Answer 3

A book you might find interesting to read is "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's actually about a plague of Yellow Fever in Philadelphia but describes peoples ignorance of medicine and their attempts to escape that plague. For 14th Century bubonic plague, run a search on Eyam, which is known as The Plague Village.

Answer 4

Lots of good answers here, so far. But surely far more important is how will we escape the great plague of the 21st century. Many people believe it is just around the corner. Many thought it had arrived with Aids, but this turned out to be no the case.
If there was another great plague, with global travel, it would surely wipe out billions around the world. Maybe it will come in the form of this much feared bird flu, but I think it will be something totally unexpected and unprepared for.
Will it be good for the earth, I wonder??????????

Answer 5

It was neigh on impossible to escape the plague....in those days the plague was such a powerful disease...some people had a strong immunity against diseases, which to this day is still intriguing to some of the top doctors of the present time. Now we have Antibiotics and Penecillin which helps restore the Immune system

Answer 6

They tried desperately but to no avail.. I have just read an article which disputes the fact that the fleas of rats were the cause. The plague occured in winter, when fleas do not breed. I can go along with that. It is now thought that the Black Death was a form of an Ebola type disease. Very interesting.

Answer 7

For the average person who didn't have the money to flee, they relied on prayer and most died. They also killed cats who were the devil's servants and did other superstitious things.

Those who could leave, tried to. They fled to the countryside since boats would not take them on. Harbors were often closed as soon as it became known there was plague in a town.

Some wealthy families simply retired to their large townhouses, stocked them with food to last, and tried to wait it out.

Oh, it was thought that cloves would stop the plague and people carried around fruit studded with cloves to hopefully breathe better air. Although cloves do have medicinal value, they weren't useful in this case.

Answer 8

As far as i know they left their villages and burned them down to kill the 'disease' and then built a new settlement nearby. That is why you often see churches away from villages as these were not burned down. The plague killed a massive number of people. In Norwich where i live they buried the bodies in the city in an area now called Tombland! Those who died had a cross painted on their doors so that those made to round up the dead knew where they lived. If it was to happen these days, it would surely have a massive impact on everything.

Answer 9

They tried to escape by boat, but wherever they went, the plague followed them. Some people walked around flogging themselves and saying prayers to god, some people wore a cloth with herbs over their mouths. They also dipped their coins in vinegar, because they thought that this would cleanse the coins. And, finally they burned herbs and spices to 'ward away evil spirits' that they thought caused the plague.

Answer 10

The main thing they tried to do was to flee the towns and cities they were living in. They also tried not to come into any close contact with victims of the plague.