Crops

In Crops, a total of 13 epidemic events are known so far.

Place

Time

Language

Disease

Animal

Keyword

Person

Nature event

River

Plague

Scribe

Social response

Victims

Events

	Date	Summary		Source	Translation	T

1259, April

Mortality in Paris. Crops have been malevolent.

Anno sequenti, mense aprilis fuit mortalitas, maxima Parisius, et moriebantur homines quasi subito.

The year after, in April, there was a great mortality, especially in Paris. People died very rapidly. (Translation: Thomas Labbé)

---

1276, July – 1276, October

Months of continuous rain destroys crops, famine feared; livestock dies, famine, disease and deaths in Rome and throughout Italy

Eodem tempore [1276] quasi per totum mensem Julij, Augusti, Septembris & Octobris Deus tantum pluit super terram in Italia, quod quasi omnes segetes de Plano guastatae sunt & perditae, & timetur multum de caristia temporis in Italia, & propter multas aquas quasi omnes boves & vaccae & oves & caprae mortuae sunt in Italia, & Romae, & in illis partibus magnae fames, infirmitates, & mortalitates hominum et personarum etiam fuerunt

(Translation needed)

---

1291

Destruction of the crops [through the invasion of King Andreas II. of Hungary and also a plague

Segetes tempore messis tam per pabulum quam per incendium et conculcationem pedum equorum ac hominum penitus devastavit; et talis pestilencia sex septimanis in terra ista duravit, et multo deterius huic terre fecit, quam Bela

---

1348, April 18 VN: 80.000

The Black Death strikes Avignon and unusual mild weather combines with devastating frosts that damage fruits and crops.

Quo tempore eciam ibidem maxima fuit mortalitas, ut lxxx milia hominum infra tre menses Avinion. obiisse referantur. Fuit etiam tanta aeris temperies quod usque quarto idus aprilis nulla nix cecidit, sed idus aprilis venit nix que vinum et nuces lesit. Et tunc in nive cum philomela cuculus cecinit, […] Sed xiiii. Kal. Maii, que erat dies parascaphe, maior nix cecidit quam tota hieme cecidisset, et fere omnes fructus arborum consumpsit. Sed postea tanta temperies supervenit, quod aliqualiter fructus et segetes reparavit.

During that time (1348), there was also a great mortality there, with as many as eighty thousand people reported to have died in Avignon within three months. There was also such a temperate air that until the fourth day before the Ides of April, no snow fell. However, on 13 April, snow fell, damaging the vines and nuts. And then, in the snow, the blackbird and cuckoo sang. But on 18 April, which was Good Friday, more snow fell than had fallen in the whole winter, and it almost entirely consumed all the fruits of the trees. But afterward, such a temperate climate ensued that it somewhat restored the fruits and crops. (Translation: Martin Bauch)

---

1350

The Black Death and its social consequences like deserted settlements and disintegration of society; symptoms pointing to gastroenteritis before buboes were visible. In cities, mass graves are built. Maybe unusual weather in 1348.

Et in ejus "Principio celum spissa caligine terras / Pressit, et ignavos inclusit nubibus estus" (Ovid, met. VII, 526) hominusque viscera primo torrentur flammisque fatiscunt, ut dicetur anno Karoli IV. tertio [1348]. Ceperuntque nasci in inguinibus hominum vel in aliis locis delicatioribus glandule in modum nucis vel dactili. Quas mox subsequebatur febrium intollerabilis estus, ita ut in triduo homo extingueretur. Sin vero aliquis triduum transegisset, habebat spem vivendi. Erat autem ubique luctus, ubique lacrime. Nam ut vulgi rumor habebat, querentes cladem vitare hinc inde fugerunt. Et relinquebantur domus deserte habitatoribus, solis catulis domos servantibus. Peculia sola remanebat in pascuis, nullo astante pastore. Cerneres pridem villas seu castra repleta agminibus hominum, postera die, universis vel mortuis vel fugientibus, cuncta esse in summo silentio. Fugiebant quoque filii cadavera parentum insepultorum. Parentes obliti pietatis viscera, natos relinquebant estuantes. Si quem antiqua forsitan pietas perstringebant, ut vellet sepelire proximum, restabat ipse insepultus, et dum obsequebatur, perimebatur. Dum funeri obsequium prebebat, ipse funus sine obsequio manebat. Videres seculum in antiquum redactum silentium. Nulla vox in rure, nullus pastorum sibilus. Nulle insidie bestiarum pecudibus. Nulla dampna in domesticis volucribus. Sed corvorum subito nimis multiplicatorum tota die crocitationes super viventes et super mortuos hyatus. Sata transgressa metendi tempus intacta expspectabant messorem. Vinea, amissis foliis, radiantibus uvis, illesa manebat hyeme propinquante. Nullus cernebatur percussor, et tamen visum oculorum superabant cadavera mortuorum. Intra civitates cymitera sepeliendis non sufficiebant unde et in campis sepulturas hominum novas faciebant. Simile quid dictum est anno Justiniani ….

And, as one says about the third year of Charles IV reign (1348), "at its beginning thick fog covered the heavens and the earth, / And sluggish heat was confined in the clouds". And human entrails were first drenched with torrents and burst into flames. And there began to grow in the groins of men or in other delicate places glands resembling nuts or dates. Soon followed by an intolerable heat of fevers, so that within three days a person would perish. But if someone passed three days, they had hope of living. Everywhere there was mourning, everywhere tears. For, as the common rumor had it, those lamenting to avoid disaster fled hither and thither. And deserted houses were left behind, inhabited only by stray dogs. Only wealth remained in the pastures, with no shepherd present. You would see villages or camps recently filled with crowds of people, but on the next day, with everyone either dead or fleeing, everything was in total silence. Even the children fled the bodies of their unburied parents. Parents, forgetful of their natural affection, abandoned their suffering children. If perhaps ancient compassion moved someone to want to bury their neighbor, that person remained unburied themselves, and while they were attending to the burial, they were killed. While they offered funeral rites, their own funeral remained without ceremony. You would see the world returned to ancient silence. No voice in the countryside, no shepherd's whistle. No lurking danger from wild beasts for the flocks. No losses among domestic fowl. But suddenly, the cawing of crows, too numerous, echoed all day over the living and the dead. The crops, surpassing the time of harvest, awaited the reaper untouched. The vineyards, stripped of leaves, with ripening grapes, remained untouched as winter approached. No reaper was seen, yet the corpses of the dead outnumbered the sights of the eyes. Within cities, burial grounds were insufficient for burying, so new human graves were made in the fields. Similar things were said in the year of Justinian ... (Translation: Martin Bauch)

---

1356 – 1357

The pestis secunda strikes Hesse and Central Germany, in combination with a bad harvest and dearth of foodstuffs.

Item in disem selben jare irhup sich groß jamer, unde qwam daz zweite groß sterben, also daz di lude an allen enden in Duschen landen stoben mit großen haufen an der selben suchte, als si sturben in dem ersten sterben. Unde war ez nit enqwam in disem jare, dar qwam ez in dem andern jare, unde ging alumb. Auch so galt daz korn unde di fruchte sin gelt, daz ez an manichem lande gar hertlichen unde komerlichen wart sten, unde sunderlichen in Hessen, in Westfalen unde dar umb unde anderswo. Item der win galt groß gelt, mit namen so galt ein qwart wines von Elsaßen zu Limpurg funf engelsen, daz ist war, unde der lantwin unde von Rine einen schilling pennige.

In this same year (1356), great sorrow arose, and there came the second great dying, so that people everywhere in the German lands died in large numbers from the same sickness as they did in the first dying. And if it did not happen in this year, it happened in the next year and continued to roam. Also, the price of grain and other crops rose significantly, causing hardship and trouble in many lands, especially in Hessen, Westphalia, and surrounding areas. Moreover, the price of wine rose greatly, for example, a quarter of wine from Alsace cost five "English" in Limburg, that is true, and the local wine and that from the Rhine cost a shilling pennies. (Translation: Martin Bauch)

---

1439, July

Great plague in the country and famine.

En cely temps avoit générale pestilenche par tout paiis, et nonobstant que les biens estoient beaux aux champs, si estoient encors les bleis et frumens bien chiers.

In this time was a pestilence everywhere in the country. And althought the crops were abundant in the fields, wheat and cereal prices were still high. (Translation: Thomas Labbé)

---

1475

Locusts destroyed many crops in Bohemia, Silesia, Moravia and Lusatia and caused a mortal disease among the pigs.

A. 1475 haben die Heuschrecken in Böhmen, Schlesien und Mähren, auch Laussnitz alle Garten-Früchte aufgefressen, und liessen einen grässlichen Gestanck hinter sich, erregten auch unter denen Schweinen, so selbe frassen, eine Seuche daran sie sturben.

In 1475, the locusts in Bohemia, Silesia and Moravia as well as in Lusatia ate up all the garden crops, leaving behind them a terrible stink, and also caused an epidemic among the pigs that ate them, from which they died. (Translation: Christian Oertel)

---

1483, June 20

Great mortality and famine in Thuringia's neighbouring countries and the citizens of Erfurt fear they might be affected in the future and organize a procession to prevent this.

Als man schreib noch Christi gebort vnser hern Tusent vierhundert vnnd drye vnnd achczigk, An deme fritage vor sant Johans tage baptisten, Do hatte der erßame vnnd wiße rath zu Erffort bestalt zu gehene eyne lobeliche erliche processien vmme dye stadt Erffort Vmme sunderlicher bethe willen eyns iglichen menschen, zu bethen vnnd zu loben den almechtigen ewigen got, das her de jn woner der erlichen stadt Erffort vnnd ouch andere frome luthe behute wolde vor dem gremmigen tode, ader hunger, ader pestilencien, vnnd dye fruchte uff deme feld. Sunderlichen jn disser zit ist groß sterben gewest jn fele landen vmme heer, ane jn Erffort vnnd jm lande zu Doringen alleyne. Also besorgte sich dye stad Erffort, eß mochte ouch zu on kome.

In the year of our Lord 1483, on the Friday before St. John's day, the honourable council of Erfurt decided to organize a procession around the city for extraordinary praying of all people. The Lord Almighty should be petitioned and blessed so he would protect the honest inhabitants of Erfurt and other just people from the grim reaper, or famine, or pestilence, and save the crops in the fields. In this time, there was a great mortality in all neighbouring countries, but not in Thuringie and Erfurt itself. So the city of Erfurt worried, they might be next. (Translation: Martin Bauch)

---

1507

A year of good harvests is also characterized by epidemic mortality.

Anno 1507 Regiert ein pestilentzisch sterben an vielen orten, vdn war gleich wol ein solches wolfeiles iahr, das der acker mehr kostet zu ehren vnd bawen, den man gelds aus verkauffung der fruchte losen kunt.

In the year 1507, a pestilential death reigned in many places, and yet it was such a year of bountiful harvests that the cost of cultivating and planting the fields exceeded the money that could be gained from selling the crops. (Translation: Martin Bauch)

---

References

This is an EpiMedDat page, and outside EpiMedDat it is a mirrored or cloned page or similar. Please note that the page may then be outdated (13.07.2025) and no longer relate to the content. The original page is or was located at http://epimeddat.net/wiki/Crops