The Plague

Year of Wonders is a novel about the plague. When George Viccars suddenly becomes ill he knows, based on his symptoms, that he has contracted the plague. He has spent time in London and has witnessed the “signs of this wretched illness” (p. 43). To learn about the plague, often referred to as the Black Death, visit any one of the multiple sites listed below:

• Bubonic Plague – Wikipedia
• Great Plague of London
• The Great Plague
• Black Death – EyeWitness to History
• Plague Facts
• Bubonic Plague – Black Death in the Elizabethan Era
• The Black Death

Bubonic Plague Timeline

250   An epidemic of the Plague begins in Egypt and spreads through the Roman Empire.

542   An outbreak of the plague kills at least 100,000 in Constantinople and perhaps two million or more in the rest of the Empire.

589   Plague in Rome.

663   A brief outbreak of plague hits Britain.

685   Plague kills almost all the monks in a Northumbrian monastery aside from the abbot and one small boy – future scholar Bede.

745   Bubonic plague in Constantinople subsequently sweeps through Europe.

747   Outbreak of Plague in Sicily, Calabria, and Momenvasia

748   Outbreak of plague in Constantinople

1349   The Jewish population of Basel, Switzerland is rounded up and incinerated, believed by the residents to be the cause of the ongoing bubonic plague.

1525   Bubonic Plague in Southern France.

1527   People of the university of Wittenberg flee bubonic plague to Jena.

1528   Bubonic plague breaks out in England.

1665   London has its last severe outbreak of the Bubonic plague, possibly introduced by Dutch prisoners of war. Two-thirds of Londoners leave the city, but over 68,000 die. (See the Great Plague of London.)

1894   outbreak of bubonic plague in the Tai Ping Shan area of Hong Kong. The disease killed a total of 2,552 people in the territory that year

Quarantine

The villagers voluntarily decide to quarantine themselves to prevent further outbreak of the disease. Here are some links that offer information about the practice of quarantine:

• Quarantine Definition
• History of Quarantine – Wikipedia
• Controlling the Spread of Contagious Diseases
• Quarantine and Isolation – Red Cross/CDC
• The Concept of Quarantine in History: from Plague to Sars
• History of Quarantine – CDC

Movies

There have been a handful of movies with plague themes. These include:

Black Death – Due to be released in February, 2010, “it is set during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England; a young monk is tasked with learning the truth about reports of people being brought back to life in a small village.”

Quiet Killer – A teenage girl in New York City dies of the plague. To avoid panic and prevent an epidemic, coroners try to keep the information from the public as they race to identify every person she has had contact with.

The Plague (History Channel) – Documentary of mankind’s deadliest killer. Learn about the drastic measures taken to stop its spread. Re-enactments bring the fear and desperation of the era to life. See haunting reminders of Europe’s devastating scourge.

Ancient Mysteries  – The Black Death –  Television program that explores questions such as: What is the Black Death? Where did it come from? Scientists still do not know the origins of this deadly plague. How was the cure for the plague finally discovered?

Ring Around the Rosy

Ring around the rosy
A pocketful of posies
“Ashes, Ashes”
We all fall down!

This famous children’s nursery rhyme is believed to refer to the bubonic plague. Learn more about it here: Ring Around the Rosy