Urban legends about the plague

Not only has the plague never disappeared, but its epidemics have left permanent traces in our culture. Among these are also urban legends

Illustration of Yersinia pestis based on a microscope image (1000x) (photo: BSIP / UIG Via Getty Images) We knew that the plague had never disappeared. The news of the new outbreak in Mongolia seems to be the carbon copy of that of a year ago. Two dead, connected to contact with marmots, on which the vector fleas of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for the disease, live. Shortly afterwards, news of the outbreak in Inner Mongolia also arrived, not to mention those reported in the Congo in recent months. Before, however, there was no Covid-19. David Quammen explained that we know the plague well, and there are effective treatments, but it is clear that the news seems to add to the list of disasters that are marking 2020.

2 / n Bubonic plague, inner Mongolia? Sounds dramatic, but not very. It's a bacterial disease for which we have antibiotics. Could as easily be reported in California, from a rodent source. https://t.co/tbKOkoCHtq

- David Quammen (@DavidQuammen) July 5, 2020



After all, the word plague is enough to evoke apocalyptic scenarios. The epidemics and pandemics it has caused have marked history, art and literature, creating a bond that reaches us. An example: the practice of quarantine developed for the first time in 1300 in Europe against the plague. The city-state of Ragusa (today Dubrovnik) experienced it first, but the duration was thirty days. Subsequently, the Republic of Venice followed suit and extended the isolation time to 40 days.

Another example: the descriptions of Alessandro Manzoni's on the plague at Milan in these months were literally looted to find parallels (not always justified) with the current situation. The word untore , too much used, it is from that context. The transparency are a classic example of an urban legend that is repeated epidemic outbreak. But in its history, the plague has donated many others.

Giro Giro tondo: a rhyme of death?

The verses of the song are engraved in our memory, but what do they mean ? An interpretation is very popular is that, in particular, in the original English version, describe the symptoms of the plague . And then, of course, all down to earth . A theory which certainly were aware of the developers of the video game Plague Inc. If we played, at a certain point, you will hear Ring a Ring o’ Roses (the original title) sung by children.

But it is a story, perhaps, too perfect to be true. As summarized Ceravolc , the rhyme appears towards the end of the Eighteenth century. The plague epidemics to which it should refer, are of a century before. There are also many versions of the verses. No describes particularly well the symptoms of the plague, and many not speaking of just the symptoms.

The alleged connection with the plague is a speculation appeared after the second world war . We like it because it turns something as innocent as a nursery rhyme in a macabre memento mori , but has no basis in reality.

The costume of the plague doctor

about memento mori : thank you to Covid, the costume of the plague doctor is all the rage. Just look at the mask's beak to recall the memory of that imaginary medieval world where people were burned at the witches , inflicted on it, the chastity belt , and practiced the ius primae noctis . But even that costume is, in large part, imaginary.

it is Not medieval for a start, if he begins to talk about since the Seventeenth century. It is not true, therefore, that it was in use during the black Plague. Probably was not even so common, that is, it was not a clothing standard for the medical personnel in Europe. We know that it was used in particular in Italy, where he was then transfigured into a mask of the commedia dell'arte, and France.

Already, at the time, also, the costume began to become a symbol to use. In one of the engravings, the most famous that we have the doctor has in his hand a stick with the top of an hourglass, winged , but it is an interpretation, satirical , non-historical. The costumes of today are inspired in large part on these representations, more than the actual costumes (which we have few artifacts).

The prophet Manzoni

From Boccaccio to Camus , in these months we went in search of what he had to say, the literature on epidemics. But it was, of course, the Manzoni to attract more attention. In the historical novel I Promessi Sposi is a description of the plague of 1630, while in the column History the infamous, the author recounts in detail the trial of two alleged transparency .

the Headstone of the Column infamous, with the description of the punishments inflicted on the transparency, today at the Castello Sforzesco (M. casanova / CC-BY-SA https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) The material to comment on, not missing, and the books are available to all. But even in this case we have not been able to do less massaging a little of the reality.

“they left before midnight. Despite the gride that it was forbidden to leave the city and threatened the usual very severe punishments such as the confiscation of houses and all assets, were many of the nobles who fled from Milan in order to go to the shelter, in their possessions in the countryside”. A. Manzoni

This text has been repeated in newspapers and social media when Lombardy became the red zone (7 march), and the people tried to leave the region. It is not very clear, as hundreds of frightened people can be compared to the nobility, but, above all, Manzoni has never written anything of the kind .

For the folklorist Sofia Lincos is one of the numerous false quotations from the learned that have colored the pandemic. Does not appear in the Betrothed , nor in the Column on the infamous, but only in a text which is informative about the Betrothed (appears among the first results for looking for bride and groom + the plague ). The main source of Manzoni is then Giuseppe Ripamonti : Lincos stresses that Offer the same refuge in the countryside, as did other personalities. The more reason to Manzoni, and the history of the plague in Milan, do not justify the attempt to blame blows to the literature the observed behavior of recent.

the extermination of The cats

Pandemics and epidemics are part of nature, but humans can give them a hand, even if unintentionally. On the plague turn this way a strange story. In the middle ages the Catholic Church would have ordered the extermination of the cats , because they were animals associated with the devil. The scouring of the cats, however, had a consequence unexpected. In the absence of predators, the rats would have multiplied in an uncontrolled way, making it possible for the plague epidemics, including the famous black Plague in the mid-300.

When you read this story, we are told that there is documentary evidence of this: the bull Vox in Rama, Gregory IX. The bubble exists, and concerns the alleged practices heretical. In step a, is named a black cat that would be part of the ritual. But this is all about : it is not ordered anyone killing the big cat.

(via reddit) This hypothesis pseudostorica has not, however, make much sense. On the one hand, cats are great hunters of rats , the role of rats in Plague-black is discussed. According to some researchers, the spread of the infection was too rapid, making suspect the contagion from human to human mediated by its parasites (fleas and lice that live on humans).

The vinegar of the four thieves

On the false cures of the plague you could write encyclopedias, but it is worth mentioning this alleged prophylactic remedy because it is still remembered. And also because its use is associated with a legendary story.

The remedy was made from vinegar , to which were added some garlic and different herbs, depending on the recipe. Was smeared on the hands and on the face, and this would be protected from the contagion. If he begins to speak from the Eighteenth century , but often it is traced back to its use in the middle ages.

The story, with many variations, is that the remedy has been invented by four thieves of Marseilles, even if, at times, thieves become seven. Caught for having robbed the dead and dying of the plague, revealed the potion a secret that they use to be released. The vinegar is still famous, and although the story is evidently legendary, there are those who try to rationalise: perhaps the strong smell discourage fleas, avoiding the contagion. What you forget is that there is no evidence that it will work.

Even today, it is difficult to find in sale mixtures called vinegar of the four thieves , both as a condiment and as a tonic with generic beneficial properties. The legend of the thieves and of the plague is always present.