• Course begins February 18, 2027

  • Live sessions with the instructor each week from 1:00 to 2:30pm Eastern U.S. time

  • All sessions are recorded and available to view for up to 2 weeks after the last live session

Session 1

The Black Death: Origins and Historiography

In this introductory session we establish what was the Black Death, how it was understood then and what we know about it now. We investigate the origins and the spread of the disease and also look into misconceptions, myth busting, and changing attitudes in the historiography of the subject.

Session 2

A Global Pandemic?

This class delves into the details of how this plague affected the whole world by looking at demographic data, the spread of the disease, and case studies from different cities and countries to help us understand this - if not global - nonetheless wide-spread event that affected much of the world.

Session 3

The Cultural Impact of the Black Death

One of the most obvious ways in which the Black Death affected society is reflected in the cultural changes in communities. From art to literature and beyond, the impact of this pandemic left residue in the minds of creatives beyond the Middle Ages.

Session 4

Political and Social Change in the Aftermath

The plague caused social, political, and even economic change as a direct result of the massive loss of human life. From rebellions to changes in urban environments and the countryside, a new world order emerged as communities adapted to the “new normal”.

Session 5

Medicine and the Black Death

Our final session looks at how the field of medieval medicine was greatly affected by the Black Death, even if it didn’t always comprehend what it was fighting and the reasons behind it. We also explore the Black Death's revisitation in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Additional information about this course

There is no homework or preparation required - just an open and curious mind to reflect on this devastating event. 

PLEASE NOTE: some of the details discussed in this course may be triggering for certain individuals.

Meet your Instructor

Lillian Cespedes Gonzalez

Dr. Lillian Cespedes Gonzalez is a medievalist with a PhD from the University of Winchester, specializing in culture and identity within the subject of medievalism and popular culture. She is a cultural scholar and historian with an interdisciplinary and international approach. While her PhD focused on Norse women and their representation in popular culture, she has always had a keen interest in the way humans see the world: mythology, religion, art and literature are the things she enjoys most. Her academic publications include many works on the Norse, comic book studies and cultural identity. She is also an active blogger and podcaster and currently runs her own tour guiding and cultural education company as a public historian, where she gets to bring history to life every day for anyone who will listen.

  • Continued access to the course materials is available for 2 weeks from the last course session