October 5th 1349, Benedictian monk Jean de Fayt warns against the influence of the Flagellants during the height of the Black Death, in which thousands joined in pilgrimage and marches across Europe publicly and violently whipping themselves in mortification rituals; which they believed would end God’s punishment of the bubonic plague upon Europe. In his ‘Chronicles’, an important historical source for the 14th century and the ‘Hundred Years War’; medieval author, court historian, and chivalric revivaler, Jean Froissartt wrote of the Flagellants: “In the Year of Grace 1349, the penitents went about, coming first out of Germany. They were men who did public penance and scourged themselves with whips of hard knotted leather with little iron spikes. Some made themselves bleed very badly between the shoulders and some foolish women had cloths ready to catch the blood and smear it on their eyes, saying that it was miraculous blood. While they were doing penance, they sang very mournful songs about the nativity and passion of Our Lord.” Deemed by the church heretical, Pope Clement VI officially condemned them October 20th, 1349. By the early 15th century efforts at their eradication were undertaken by German Princes, with mass executions through burning. Two such mass burnings are recorded as having taken place in Thuringia, in Germany. The first in 1414 saw the execution of between 80 and 90, and two years later with the burning of 300 in a single day. Four Hundred Years and two days later on the 7th October 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died in mysterious circumstances. Like one of Poe’s short stories, on the 3rd Oct, he was discovered on the streets of Baltimore in a delirious state (Continued in the comments). #mysteryhistory #halloweenhistory #thursdaytales #edgarallanpoe #diedonthisday #historicalmystery #princeprospero #blackdeath #plaguedoctor #bubonicplague #pandemichistory #historyofdisease #cholera #edgarallenpoe #edgarallanpoequote #reddeath #flagellants #14thcentury #darkhistory #morbid #macabre #macabreart #19thcentury #baltimoremaryland #poe #cureall #historyofmedicine #medicinebottles #blackdeathart #strangehistory https://www.instagram.com/p/CUu73cJFHKO/?utm_medium=tumblr
