Supernatural Causes of Disease in Medieval England (AQA GCSE History)

Why was a belief in supernatural causes of disease important in Medieval England? - Summary

In Medieval England, many people believed that diseases were caused by the supernatural, such as God’s will. The Church taught that illness was often a punishment from God for sins. This made people turn to prayer, confession, and religious rituals to cure or prevent diseases. The Church was very powerful and controlled much of the knowledge about health and medicine. People relied heavily on religious explanations for disease.

Astrology was another supernatural belief that influenced ideas about disease. People thought that the movement of the stars and planets could affect their health. Medieval physicians would often use star charts to diagnose illnesses and decide on treatments. For example, they believed certain illnesses were linked to star signs. This belief in astrology showed how much people depended on supernatural ideas to explain things they couldn’t understand.

How important was the Medieval Church?

• The belief in God played an incredibly important role in Medieval people’s day-to-day lives

• The Church dictated people’s lives from ‘cradle to grave’ 

  • People went to Church every Sunday

  • As a baby, they would be christened in the Church

  • They would be married at Church

  • They would go into confession and pay for indulgences to clear their soul of sin

  • When they died, they would have a funeral at the Church

• The Church controlled English universities like Oxford and Cambridge

  • They approved every medical text a physician used for his education

• The Church controlled the publication of books

  • Monks handwrote all books in Medieval England

    • This allowed the Church to create books that matched their beliefs

Religious causes of disease

• Medieval people believed that, if you sinned, God had the power to make you ill

• People believed that certain diseases were a result of God’s punishment

  • An example of a disease that people believed was a punishment from God was leprosy

• People believed that the Church provided the most important method of Medieval prevention through:

  • regular prayer

  • confession

  • leading a morally good life 

• By doing these actions, Medieval people attempted to avoid becoming il

Astrological causes of disease

• Physicians believed in the importance of astrology

  • They stated that a person's star sign influenced:

    • their overall health

    • the symptoms that they experienced when they were ill

  • Physicians used star charts to diagnose disease

• Astrologers observed the positioning of planets and stars

  • It was believed that a 'bad' positioning of certain planets could cause epidemics

• In times of plague, people wore charms to warn off evil spirits