To properly understand the impact of the plague and the historical marks it left it is necessary to consider all aspects of society. The Bubonic Plague otherwise known as the "Black Death" was responsible for the deaths of over 25 million people reducing the population of Europe by one third. Originating in Asia the plague swept through Europe between 1347 and 1350 spread by the Black Rat carrying the oriental flea in its coat. The term "Black Death" finds its origins from the characteristic black swellings in armpits and groins of the afflicted persons. The plague is now considered one of the most devastating events in western European history. It was easily spread through the seaports and fast affected millions of people throughout Europe. The plague undoubtedly affected, directly or indirectly, all the people whom witnessed its horrifying consequences. This tragedy resulted in the reconstruction of many social ideologies. It guided European society and its inherent culture in a new direction, influencing many of cultural icons of the diverse and impressionistic Renaissance movement. Virtually no aspect of European society was unaffected by the Black Plague for it changed the cul

The impacts which the Plague had on culture and society over six hundred years ago have been likened to the effects that AIDS has on modern society. One comparison made by Dr Subhash Hira when AIDS broke out in Zambia anticipated that it would have similar mortality patterns as the Plague. " You are looking at the bubonic plague in the Middle Ages, and ten years down the line you will see the same kind of mass deaths. Art pieces contemplating both diseases focus on the cause of the disease. Today art pieces associated with aids and images in general, have more erotic content, evidence of the impact the virus, and the method of its transmission have had on society there also seems to be an increased sense of awareness about drug

However not all people were satisfied with these often whimsical mystic justifications and many looked for a tangible explanation. Some, in an attempt to fill the void of inexplicability, blamed and persecuted the Jews for the desperate situation facing their previously thriving and prosperous society. Other people banded the flagellants, wandered Europe doing penance in public, punishing themselves to atone for the evils of the world. Similarly a series of "Plague saints" emerged along with new religious brotherhoods and shrines dedicated to protecting the populace from the evils of the plague. These religious changes within the society where inevitable. Many societies have undergone similar changes in the aftermath of horrific historical events. For a society to have such experiences with out searching for justifiable explanations would defy the nature of all humanity.

This dislocation of the social structures led to revolutionary change in the general attitudes and of the society and its institutions. The values upon which people based their existence were questioned along with those who promoted and often enforced these values. The plague saw a change in the nature of day to day life which determined peoples attitudes. The vernacular language tended to replace the previously formal Latin. Far more social emphasis was placed upon the importance of death and the afterlife. A major change which is still regarded as very important to the sustainment of human life and development was the development of public health institutions which came into place to try combat the black plague. These, along with new initiatives to raise public sanitation, saved many lives during and e

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Approximate Word count = 1628
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)