Posted on 10/20/2010 12:55:40 AM PDT by neverdem
What numbers did you use for h and w?
Barbara Tuchman's seminal work on the social and political effects of the plague, "Through a Glass Darkly", mentioned that as the plague spread North the percentage of deaths declined.
We can flip that around to a scenario where the initial viral attack in the far North was relatively mild with a nothing more than head cold symptoms, and as the virus spread South it MUTATED (like flu) and became more deadly.
The FAR NORTH has more than its fair share of rodents of all kinds to serve as a vector for the fleas and the virus. I have no idea why the FAR NORTH wouldn't be a great home for this particular disease.
Immediately after the arrival of the plague in Norway, the Norse population numbers dropped like a rock, and vast expanses of previously farmed land turned to waste.
In those days "church authorities" (according to many Norwegian sources) were responsible for collecting "rents" and "taxes" on Coastal farmland in Norway. Other taxing authorities dealt with the fishing industry.
In order to repopulate the abandoned farms the "tax" authorities made deals with the Sa'ami who lived further North and up in the hills chasing reindeer. In just a few decades much of the abandoned territories were repopulated with Sa'ami people who were Christianized and recast as valued citizens (provided they learned the Norwegian language.
Still, the "tax" authorities had to continue this practice well into the 1700s.
The Sa'ami were also encouraged to get into the commercial fishing business which was vital to Norway's economy.
Modern Norway counts only 60,000 people as being Sa'ami, but that's a matter of legal definition, not genetics. Given the effect of the Great Plague on Souv'rn Norway, it's more like HALF are of substantially Sa'ami ancestry ~ and now that a marker gene or 2, or 3, or 82 of 'em have been identified, that could readily be demonstrated.
I suspect the Sa'ami themselves were IMMUNE to the black plague virus, and that it was a local thing that comes and goes over time, but strictly among the rodents ~ not the people.
I used w=800. If you use just one dimension in your html it maintains the aspect ratio. If you use both you can easily distort the pic.
Thanks,you know plenty, so it’s likely not an obvious answer.
thanks;interesting, and a little scary.
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People often forget the preferred and easy route from the Near East to the North using the Black Sea and the rivers of Russia.
Merchant traffic went both ways, not just from the North to the Black Sea..
“Instead, two unknown forms were identified, which are older and differ from the modern pathogens found in Africa, America, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Union regions”
Yikes - Bioweapons from the past!
Chime in OT Laws.
We have used those for the last 32 yrs and have been blessed with
“no infectcion”.
Wash body fluids away down drains for the severly infirmed, bury the dead, and take care to cover/clean the honey pots.
All the above takes most of the time along with hand feeding.
Mother Theresa would understand.
Carry on.
There was a terrible epidemic of antiwitchcraft activity in central Europe, which included killing many women, especially old ones, and cats. I recall reading that Nostradamus encouraged using Vitamin C containing rose hips, which helped. There are 3 phases of the plague which have varying lethality. Bubonic from flea bites, characterized by swollen bloody lymph glands, the least lethal; pneumonic, spread airborne, highly lethal; and septicemic, blood poisoning, totally fatal. Defoes “Journal of the Plague Years” is very informative.
Regarding rats, the primary vector in Europe seems to have been the brown (or black?) rat which is an upper story dweller. The Norwegian rat is a basement/sewer rat. While it may have been the initial carrier from ships, apparently it was the other rats that lived more closely with people that did the most damage. Any information on Jewish practices with regard to rats and housecleaning?
The Jews in England had low infection rates because they had all been kicked out in 1290.
I know you are very busy.
I just thought this thread would confirm what your already know.
Peace Out. Chic. /Catholic PNW too Cool
Yes we are Chic. LOL
But who/history is to say that their cleansing ways were not picked up by those living amongst them aka shared culture.
Do not know, but cats are quite effective at eliminating rodent pests from upper stories of buildings. See barn cats and hay lofts. Unlike the Christians of the time, Jews didn’t have problems with keeping cats as pets or even as animate pest control.
The far north has this thing called ‘Winter’. Fleas freeze and die, and so do infected and unprotected rats.
This so weakened the Byzantines that subsequent threats (humans) could not be effectively countered.
The figure I read was that it killed 100 million altogether. Obviously there is a bit of a dispute about the totals.
Thanks - interesting topic. Hope you and KV are well! Anoreth says it’s too cool in Washington, too!
It's not like the fleas MIGRATE up from the Bahamas or something every Spring.
Does the name "NORWAY RAT" mean anything to you?
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