The Black Death and The Hundred Years’ War and their effects on Arts and Literature
The fourteenth century in Europe was a great time for social, political, and cultural changes. That period saw the Black Death, which killed about 75 to 200 million people and took place between 1346 and 1353. The pandemic created a series of religious, social, and economic disruptions that led to great changes in European history.
The death reduced the overpopulated Europe, which resulted in more opportunities for people. Lower labor supply led to higher wages. Cheaper lands and food, because of less demand, empowered the peasants. The Black Death affected art and literatur and made it dark and representative of death. Guillaume de Machaut was a medieval French poet and composer who survived the Black Death. Machaut is known for being part of the Ars Nova movement (Medieval Latin: “New Art”).
The Hundred Years’ War was a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Plantagenet, rulers of the Kingdom of England, against the House of Valois, rulers of the Kingdom of France. The continuous wars slowed the progress of Europe. Increased taxes, rents, and the cost of goods affected average citizens.
The English language rose during the war period as English people considered French, the language of the enemy. Geoffrey Chaucer was an English author, philosopher, and astronomer. The French captured Chaucer during the Hundred Years’ War and during captivity wrote his famous literature.
Recommended reading:
Europe in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries
The Soldier Experience in the Fourteenth Century
John of Gaunt: The Exercise of Princely Power in Fourteenth-Century Europe
