The Black Death
A Medieval Song about the Plague
"A sickly season," the merchant said,
"The town I left was filled with dead,
and everywhere these queer red flies
crawled upon the corpses' eyes,
eating them away."
"Fair make you sick," the merchant said,
"They crawled upon the wine and bread.
Pale priests with oil and books,
bulging eyes and crazy looks,
dropping like the flies."
"I had to laugh," the merchant said,
"The doctors purged, and dosed, and bled;
"And proved through solemn disputation
"The cause lay in some constellation.
"Then they began to die."
"First they sneezed," the merchant said,
"And then they turned the brightest red,
Begged for water, then fell back.
With bulging eyes and face turned black,
they waited for the flies."
"I came away," the merchant said,
"You can't do business with the dead.
"So I've come here to ply my trade.
"You'll find this to be a fine brocade..."
And then he sneezed.
"A sickly season," the merchant said,
"The town I left was filled with dead,
and everywhere these queer red flies
crawled upon the corpses' eyes,
eating them away."
"Fair make you sick," the merchant said,
"They crawled upon the wine and bread.
Pale priests with oil and books,
bulging eyes and crazy looks,
dropping like the flies."
"I had to laugh," the merchant said,
"The doctors purged, and dosed, and bled;
"And proved through solemn disputation
"The cause lay in some constellation.
"Then they began to die."
"First they sneezed," the merchant said,
"And then they turned the brightest red,
Begged for water, then fell back.
With bulging eyes and face turned black,
they waited for the flies."
"I came away," the merchant said,
"You can't do business with the dead.
"So I've come here to ply my trade.
"You'll find this to be a fine brocade..."
And then he sneezed.
Watch the video for background on The Black Death
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The Bubonic Plague Reading Worksheet |
Part I: Bubonic Plague Reading |
For Part II of the Worksheet: https://europeanhistory.boisestate.edu/westciv/plague/
As you read the excerpts below of primary sources, consider in a short paragraph how people responded to the The Black Death. Why do you think people respond to the plague in the way that they did? What explanations are given? What influenced the way people responded to the plague? Come up with a thesis statement and support it with the readings. Do this in your writing journal.
As you read the excerpts below of primary sources, consider in a short paragraph how people responded to the The Black Death. Why do you think people respond to the plague in the way that they did? What explanations are given? What influenced the way people responded to the plague? Come up with a thesis statement and support it with the readings. Do this in your writing journal.
Plague Readings Primary Sources |
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If you finish early, watch the Crash Course video on the effect disease has on human history and the alternate reality video.
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