The steampunk version of the plague doctor resembles a union between the plague doctor of old and a raven. In the colorful and bizarre world of today's cosplay costumes, the plague doctor shows up in a variety of forms, often more resembling some malevolent bird than the original. It is no coincidence that today it has made its way into several films, and even into absolutely modern forms of entertainment like video games. And yet, its disconcerting appearance manages to arouse a mixture of curiosity and even anxiety. Today the plague doctor mask is just one of many Venetian carnival masks or Halloween costumes. Memories of this are all gone, and thanks to the advances of modern medicine, we can no longer really relate to the profound anguish that the plague doctor mask caused in past centuries. Most severe were the plagues of 1630 and worse, that of 1575 in which a third of the population of Venice was wiped out. It was a sort of memento mori on the last day of Carnival.Īcross Europe and especially in Venice, the plague was a recurring phenomenon. On Fat Tuesday in Venice, groups of plague doctors poured into the streets, reminding passers-by to return to wearing more ordinary costumes after weeks or months of excess. That is, it served to embody the evil (or rather, the memory of the evil) in order to overcome or manage the hidden fear attached to it. As often happens, the costume took on what is called an apotropaic meaning. The plague doctor mask after centuries under a different meaning ended up becoming an iconic carnival costume. The plague doctor as a carnival costume, yesterday and today The mask served, on the one hand, to physically prevent the spirits from entering the physician's body and, on the other, to frighten them and drive those spirits away. Rather, it was believed that disease was carried by spirits or "negative influences" that caused disorder in the patent's moods. So why did it look so terrifying? The deeper aspect of the plague doctor mask has more to do with superstition and ancient ideas of the plague than with the practical needs of physicians.Īt the time of the plague, nothing was known about microbes or viruses. The plague doctor mask had a practical use to be sure. This also served specifically to avoid direct contact with the plague victims' bodies. Gloves and the wand, which the plague doctor holds in all - but rare - original representations, completed the ensemble. One could say that the plague doctor mask was the world's first attempt at a gas mask. According to the miasmatic-humoral doctrine, the plague was due to "bad air". The beak was meanwhile filled with aromatic herbs to filter and purify the air breathed by the plague doctor intended to prevent contagion. On both sides of the “beak”, two horizontal cuts were made to let air pass through. These holes were sealed by two pieces of glass, while the lower part of the face was covered by a powerful, hooked nose resembling a long beak - the plague doctor mask's trademark feature. The plague doctor mask covered the physician's face in the shape of an oval with two open round holes located in the eyes. The full outfit, which covered the plague doctor from head to foot, consisted of an outer garment tightly enclosed around the mask. The theory was that it would isolate the physician and prevent direct contact with the bodies of plague victims. It was actually worn by doctors and physicians as a medical uniform, under the supposition it would have protected them from disease when they visited people infected. In the 17th century, a famous French doctor, Charles de L'Orme, perfected the plague doctor mask, giving it the look we recognize today. We know only a little about its origins, but it is clear that the plague doctor figure was common throughout Europe since the Middle Age.
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