The Great Plague of 1665 was the most virulent and deadly outbreak of plague since the Black Death landed in England in 1348. As such, people were desperate to understand its causes and quickly developed a number of possible theories.
Some people believed the plague was an act of divine retribution and that God was punishing the English population for their sins. Others thought the plague was the result of a particular planetary alignment or the appearance of an unexpected comet in the previous year. See the first reference link for more information.
Finally, a large number of people subscribed to the idea that the plague was caused by miasmas, or bad smells. We are reminded of this belief through the English nursery rhyme, known as "Ring-A-Ring O'Roses" or "Ring Around the Rosie," in which people are urged to carry sweet-smelling items (like posies) to ward off the miasmas:
Ring-a-ring o'roses,
A pocket full of posies.
Please see the second reference link for more information.
No comments:
Post a Comment