Demoralization, Disillusionment and the End of Feudalism - Essay Example

Demoralization, Disillusionment and the End of Feudalism: The Effects of the Black Death on Peasants’ Lives In the examination of mass deaths in the course of history, it can be said that the Black Death is one of the worst natural killers of all time, eradicating more than 30% of the European population and about 50% of the English population (Zapotoczny 1; Holmes 249; Byrne 237). The Black Death hails from the Bubonic Plague, which is a fatal disease that kills almost as fast as lightning (Hayden, “History of The Black Death”). Although the disease is manifested in three types—bubonic, pneumonic and septicemiac—the pandemic became known as the Black Death because the bubonic strain is typified by “large, inflamed lymph nodes around the neck, groin and armpits” that would turn black with the progression of the disease (Hayden, “History of The Black Death”). The spread of the disease was fast and crossed countries and continents within months as rat fleas feeding on infected black rats, causing the fleas to hunger for more sources of blood, were transported through ships that sailed from the East to the West (Hayden, “History of The Black Death”). Combined with the unsanitary conditions of the cities back then and contagion became inevitable. “The violence of this disease was such that the sick communicated it to the healthy who came near them, just as a fire catches anything dry or oily near it” (“The Black Death, 1348”). This was evidenced by black flags that were hung on villages and towns that were infected by the plague; almost everywhere these black flags were seen flying in the air (Butler, “The Black Death and its Impact (c.1300-1450)”). The rapid devastation of village and city populations created an aura of doom and fear—experiences that were never forgotten and gotten over with. Entire families died; survivors did not even have time to mourn their loved ones as the fear of contacting the disease was all-consuming (Holmes 249). People were forced to throw their loved ones in mass graves of ditches without a proper burial ceremony and even a hastened prayer (Holmes 249; James, “Black Death: The lasting impact”). “And there were those who had been so poorly covered with earth that dogs dragged them from there and through the city and fed on corpses” (qtd. in Holmes 249). Experiences like this are etched into the memory of the people and has inadvertently affected the psyche and morale of not only the individual, but of populations worldwide. This has resulted to a change in the way of living, especially for the peasants who were affected greatly as they did not have the capacity of isolating themselves within manor or castle walls as the nobility did (James, Black Death: The lasting impact”). Demoralization and Disillusionment Where before, peasant families were characterized as being close-knit, with the responsibilities of each member seeking to create a loving and happy environment even amidst poverty, the Black Death destroyed all this as it instilled fear and isolated people from each other. Previously doting fathers and loving mothers abandoned their sick children; blood relations did not matter as escaping death became the main concern for those who were fortunate enough not to have yet contacted the disease, but were unfortunate to have witnessed the rapid destruction of their families and friends (Butler, “The Black Death and its Impact (c.1300-1450)”). Conventional values were shelved and people lived each day thinking it might be their last and demoralization spread like fire. Panic and fear made animals out of the people (Holmes 350). Peasants who were raised respecting the value of community and family shunned them. It can be said that this is the psychological effect of the plague as people tend to cope by pretending they did not care or entirely losing the ability to care (Holmes 350). Hopelessness spread throughout the continents and it is not an uncommon thought that the Day of Judgment has come (Holmes 249). Peasants became disillusioned and depression spread throughout lands as ditches filled with rotting corpses became the only thing that was left of villages and towns. Medicine and Religion failed to save people and and doctors doubted their skills and knowledge, while the religious questioned their faith. Peasants coped by keeping themselves in isolation as best as they could, building communities of healthy individuals and relocating to unpopulated areas (“The Black Death, 1348”). However, some peasants seemed to have lost their sanity, which is not surprising, as they approached what they viewed as impending death by spending each day abusing their bodies through drinking and other forms of enjoyment; they “spent day and night going from tavern to tavern, drinking immoderately, or went into other peoples houses, doing only those things which pleased them” (“The Black Death, 1348”). Many became flagellants and they went about from place to place, whipping themselves in public, punishing themselves for their sins as they think God has punished the world (Hayden, “History of The Black Death”). It can be seen here how people, composed mostly of peasants and artisans as they were the ones most affected by the plague, lived during the plague and how they each tried to cope with the devastation around them (James, Black Death: The lasting impact”). The plague has transformed society in a very cruel way. Society’s moral fiber was crushed as mass deaths became an everyday occurrence that people had to live with (Butler, “The Black Death and its Impact (c.1300-1450)”). The End of Feudalism While the plague has brought about death by the millions—mostly in the peasantry—its aftermath left the survivors with wealth that they had never before seen as they inherited whatever the deceased left behind—which was bountiful. Although the nobility was also affected, deaths were notably fewer as they had the capacity to move to other uninfected places as well as isolate themselves within their vast holdings (James, Black Death: The lasting impact”). The result was that laborers became short in supply and landlords lost their income with no one to work on their lands (Holmes 251). Peasants who rented lands and paid their rent by working for the landowners before the plague asked for wages that became higher as the demand for their services increased (Holmes 250; James, Black Death: The lasting impact”). The peasants gained power and confidence as they now know their true value—without them, the landed will suffer (Fincher, “Why did the Peasants Revolt Occur?”). However, as a result of this, various legislations were passed in order to prevent the increase in wages (Holmes 250; James, Black Death: The lasting impact”). The the Statute of Labourers in 1351 was enacted in England for this very purpose (James, Black Death: The lasting impact”). “Such legislation was virtually impossible to enforce, but indicates that among those who survived the plague there was additional wealth, from higher wages and from accumulated holdings of lands formerly held by plague victims” (James, Black Death: The lasting impact”). As much as the nobility tried to undermine the rights of the peasantry to higher wages after the plague, the latter has already learned that their labor is much needed by the former in order to survive and maintain their status (Fincher, “Why did the Peasants Revolt Occur?”). Changes, especially the abolition of the feudal system, are imminent. And so, they became bolder in their demands for societal reform. As a result, the aftermath of the Bubonic Plague saw the fall of feudalism and the rise of the peasants. Conclusion It can be seen here how living through a pandemic can cause changes in the way people view life, the way they live it, and the way death is treated. Extreme emotions of panic and fear can completely change individuals and the effects of demoralization and disillusionment are seen in the way the peasants isolated themselves, abandoned families and friends, and turned to violence at a time of chaos and mass destruction. On the one hand, the devastation of the Black Death also shows how upheavals in society after a time of crisis can prove to be beneficial as in the fall of feudalism. Works Cited Butler, Chris. “The Black Death and its Impact (c.1300-1450).” The Flow of History, 2007. Web. 23 November 2009. Fincher, Autumn. “Why did the Peasants Revolt Occur?” Mount Holyoke College, 20 October 2001. Web. 23 November 2009. Hayden, Scott. “History of The Black Death Bubonic Plague Ravaged 14th Century Europe.” Suite 101, 21 May 2007. Web. 23 November 2009. Holmes, George. The Oxford history of medieval Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Print. James, Tom. “Black Death: The lasting impact.” BBC, 5 November 2009. Web. 23 November 2009. “The Black Death, 1348.” Eye Witness to History, 2001. Web. 23 November 2009. Zapotoczny, Walter, S. The Political and Social Consequences of the Black Death, 1348 – 1351. Web. 23 November 2009. Read More