One of the more interesting portions of my day involved contemplating the cultural effects of the Black Death on 14th century Europe. People got religion: flagellants took the burden of repentance upon themselves for the whole society, peasants took up prayer as lifeline rather than pastime or social custom. Art became full of memento mori: [...]
Tags: 14th century europe, black death, bocaccio, canterbury tales, chaucer, decameron, intellectual heritage, memento mori, Repentance, self centeredness, skeletons, story cycles, tombstones
