Tonight we go back to the fourteenth century and follow the Black Death, the great plague that swept across Europe and changed it forever. From the steppes of Central Asia and the siege of Caffa to the ships that reached Sicily, from Boccaccio's Florence and the doctors who blamed the stars to the flagellants, the dance of death, the birth of quarantine and a world with fewer hands but new freedoms. A slow, soothing history lecture to help you fall asleep.

💬 What is the true symbol of the plague years for you: the plague doctor's mask, Boccaccio's ten storytellers, or the painted dance of death?

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:24 Europe Before the Storm
7:52 Out of the Steppe
13:12 The Siege of Caffa
18:56 Ships in the Harbour
24:21 An Invisible Enemy
29:48 Florence and the Ten Storytellers
35:26 Across the Continent
41:16 Doctors, Stars and Bad Air
47:13 Flagellants and Scapegoats
52:49 The Dance of Death
57:55 A World With Fewer Hands
1:03:40 The Plague Returns
1:09:14 What the Plague Left Behind
1:14:40 Epilogue
1:16:49 Calm music for sleep

🌙 Night Harbor — calm history for sleep. Put on an episode, dim the lights, and drift off while the story carries you through the night.

Narration is created with the help of modern voice technology. If you notice an inaccuracy, tell us in the comments — we're grateful to every attentive listener.

Subscribe, and the next voyage will find you. Good night. 🌙

#historyforsleep #sleeplecture #blackdeath