| Explanation | What They Thought | What They Did About It |
|---|---|---|
| God's Punishment | God was punishing mankind for sin | Prayer, fasting, pilgrimages. Flagellants whipped themselves publicly. |
| Bad Air (Miasma) | Poisonous vapours from rotting matter | Carried posies of flowers, burned herbs, fires in streets to "purify" air. |
| Planets | Conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars in 1345 | Consulted astrologers, waited for stars to change. |
| Jewish People | Blamed for poisoning wells (antisemitic lie) | Terrible persecution; thousands killed in Europe. |
| Humours | An imbalance caused by bad air entering body | Bleeding, purging to restore balance. |
This key facts covers What Did People Believe Caused It? within The Black Death for GCSE History. Revise The Black Death in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 2 of 14 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for The Black Death
In which year did the Black Death first arrive in England?
What were 'buboes', which gave the bubonic plague its name?
Quick recall flashcards
How did the Black Death spread to England?
From Central Asia via Italy and France through trade routes — arrived in ports like Weymouth in June 1348
What were the symptoms of the Black Death?
Buboes (swellings in armpits/groin), black blotches on skin, fever, vomiting blood — most victims died within days