Wellcome Collection., CC BYĮven though skeletons and skulls representing death had appeared in ancient and medieval art, such symbols gained renewed emphasis following the Black Death. Chovin, 1720-1776, after the Basel dance of death. Everyone from the poor to the powerful will eventually dance with death. For example, images of the dance of death or “danse macabre” showed the dead and the living coming together. The ubiquity of death contributed to the making of a new death culture, which found an expression in art.
In Europe, high levels of mortality caused by the Black Death and its recurrent outbreaks made death even more visible and tangible than ever before. The catastrophic effects of plague and its relentless recurrences changed life in every possible way. The Black Death ended, but plague carried on, making periodic return visits through the centuries. Between 13, plague rampaged across Afro-Eurasia and killed an estimated 40% to 60% of the population. The Black Death was a pandemic of plague, the infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Consider the Black Death - the mother of all pandemics. Looking at the ways survivors of past pandemics tried to celebrate the triumph of life amid widespread death can add context to the present-day experience. The holiday draws from mixed emotions that resonate even more than usual during the COVID-19 era. Even though death is symbolically very much present in Halloween, it’s also a time to celebrate life. It lets people move beyond their ordinary social roles, identities and appearances. And yes, Halloween is my favorite holiday because I get to wear my plague doctor costume complete with a beaked mask.īut Halloween opens a little window of freedom for all ages. Photo 12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Etching of a plague doctor in the era’s personal protective equipment. are now fortunate enough to feel cautiously optimistic after all those awful months that have passed since March 2020. Thanks to ongoing vigilance and continuing vaccination efforts, many people in the U.S. Nükhet Varlik, Rutgers University – NewarkĪfter last year’s Halloween was very much plagued by doubt and worry thanks to a global pandemic with no clear end in sight, Halloween 2021 may feel especially exciting for those ready to celebrate it. Pieter Brueghel the Elder: ‘The Triumph of Death’, CC BY
Death waits for no man – and pandemics drive the point home.
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