The Black Death and wuxia

[Ken Cheng]

In the middle of the 14th Century of the Christian era, bubonic plague spread through Eurasia, claiming millions of lives from China to Western Europe. The terrible plague came to be known as "the Black Death."

The 14th Century was, in the Jin Yong universe, the era of HSDS. As the plague lasted for decades, its effects likely continued to spread well into the 15th Century, after the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, which might put it into the time period of SPW and a number of Gu Long's stories as well.

The Black Death/Great Plague is never addressed in any work of wuxia. Having the plague as the backdrop/setting for a wuxia story might lead to some interesting and unprecedented storytelling ideas. No matter how great a martial artist's prowess, his/her skill in martial arts would be all but useless against the plague. After all, one can't use a dagger, sword, or even internal energy against bacteria.

Even the great healers of wuxia, who are seemingly able to heal a variety of apparently hopeless ailments, would likely be able to do little against the plague: if traditional Chinese medicine has an Achilles' Heel, it would be infectious disease.

[Ian Liew]

Wasn't it spread by rats or something? The rat would have to travel a long way to reach China unless they hitched a ride on one of Yongle's ships (I'm not sure if they went as far as Europe, though).

[pannonian]

Wasn't it spread by rats or something? The rat would have to travel a long way to reach China unless they hitched a ride on one of Yongle's ships (I'm not sure if they went as far as Europe, though).

One of the contributory factors to the fall of the Mongol empire was supposed to have been the Black Death, which was spread by their extensive trade routes. China and all other heavily populated areas in contact with the Mongols were devastated by the disease, which originated in the steppes where the sparse population had previously kept it in check.

Re: Ken, the closest I can think of is the failing crops and starving population in HSDS, when Zhang Wuji was taking Yang Buhui to her father in the Kunlun mountains.

[odbayarb2000]

I read that bacteria's origin is actually from soft east asia. Mongol horses carried them into China and then into West with their extensive trade routes. Horse itself was immune to the bacteria and but when the bacteria got in touch with local rats or other rodents the desease became epidemic.

[Ken Cheng]

Wasn't it spread by rats or something? The rat would have to travel a long way to reach China unless they hitched a ride on one of Yongle's ships (I'm not sure if they went as far as Europe, though).

One of the contributory factors to the fall of the Mongol empire was supposed to have been the Black Death, which was spread by their extensive trade routes. China and all other heavily populated areas in contact with the Mongols were devastated by the disease, which originated in the steppes where the sparse population had previously kept it in check.

Yes, this is true. The Black Death originated in Central Asia and, via trade routes, worked its way both west into Europe and east into China. The Black Death cut a huge swath across Eurasia as far west as Italy and as far east as the Chinese coast. It was probably the worst pandemic in history.