Before we can understand why the plague doctor is such a persistent presence in steampunk culture, we must first understand what they are and where they come from.
During the bubonic plague, plague doctors first appeared on the scene between 1346 and 1352. This epidemic, also known as the Black Death at the time, was one of the worst in human history, killing about 25 million people in Europe alone.
At the time, those in authority were desperate and decided to hire a new type of physician, one who would later be known as plague doctors. These doctors were young and inexperienced, with no formal medical training. A good start when millions of people’s lives were in your control.
However, due to the lethality of the Black Death, expendable doctors were required, persons who could walk into the plague-infested streets to count the dead and treat those infected with this unknown illness. Around this time, the plague doctor costume/suit was created. The doctor’s outfit was designed by Charles de I-Orme, the principal physician to King Louis XIII. It contained the following items:
Leggings: The pants were coated in wax and animal fat, making the cloth impermeable and preventing fluids from soaking into the fabric. This reduced the possibility of the plagued people’s fluids infecting the doctors.
Boots: Plague doctors wore high boots made of goat leather or other types of leather that were fastened to the person’s pants so that no skin was exposed to miasmas or bodily fluids.
Coat: The coat was waxed and then coated with animal fat to reduce the chance of bodily fluids coming into contact with the doctor’s skin.
Gloves: To prevent bodily fluids from leaking into the gloves and infecting the doctor, the gloves were waxed and coated in firm animal fat.
Hat: The hat served as a symbol of the individual’s position, indicating to people around them that they were, in fact, doctors.
Mask: Plague doctors used a distinctive mask with a bird-like beak, which they filled with various perfumed chemicals to keep them from getting infected. The masks have eye goggles and small breathing holes where the doctor’s nose would be.
Plague doctors thought the plague was spread by vapors in the air, therefore they put strong-smelling ingredients in the mask’s beak. However, the nose holes in the mask were an odd design choice because they could still breathe in the bad air.
As a result, plague doctors were novice physicians who were particularly prevalent in the 1300s. They went out into the streets to count the number of persons who perished from the bubonic plague and treated the sick, regardless of how questionable their therapies were. With that in mind, let us investigate the relationship between steampunk and these dark and enigmatic doctors of the past.
Connection Between Plague Doctors And Steampunk
Why are plague physicians so popular in the steampunk community? There are a variety of explanations for this. We’ll look at the three most common reasons, which should help shine some light on the subject.
It can represent death and fear.
The plague doctor is a terrifying person who instills fear in the audience. There will be regret and unhappiness wherever they go. This may be demonstrated by looking at plague doctors throughout history. They assisted the dead and dying.
Counting the number of individuals who died as a result of the Black Death. They were surrounded by the sick, whom they attempted to heal. It’s easy to understand why plague doctors are connected with death and sorrow. Some believe that the bird-like mask represents a god of death and can represent misfortune or even death. When you see someone wearing one of these bird-like masks, you might wonder what’s underneath. Is that a person or a demon? It’s a dramatic and inventive visual that fits with the idea of steampunk’s sometimes dark and grim genre.
Erotic Connotations And Aesthetic Appeal
Steampunk is a lovely blend of dark and mystical elements that creates a nostalgic and appealing appearance. The secretive character of the plague doctor, as well as the amount of leather used in this costume, can be interpreted as erotic.
As a result, the visual and physical experience of this particular costume is both dramatic and mysterious. Steampunk’s beautiful and romantic visual look wonderfully integrates the ideas of dark, aesthetic, and mainstream culture to create an incredibly appealing outfit.
A Representation Of Science And Experimentation
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction, and what better face to represent alchemical science and medicine than the mysterious-looking plague doctor?
Furthermore, some argue that these plague doctors were the forefathers of scientific endeavor, despite the egregious malpractices linked with them and the superstition treatments they used to attempt and treat the patients. This can be considered as an exploring spirit, which many in the steampunk community believe suits the concept of the art form.
Moreover, plague doctors were known to do autopsies on plague victims in order to better understand the human body and what the plague was doing in order to cure it. Autopsies were deemed a horrific crime at the time, but plague doctors carried them out nevertheless.
Many people believe that this isolated and treacherous uprising perfectly suits the idea of steampunk and the spirit of scientific discovery. Many depictions are rebellious and almost romanticized, and who can blame them when the plague doctor is such a dark and mysterious figure?
Why Is Steampunk Infested With Plague Doctors?
As we all know, Charles de L’Orme was the man behind the classic appearance we all know and love. However, during the time of the Black Death, this uniform was supposed to be useful and most likely extremely painful to wear.
The bulky clothes, which was covered in substances that made it difficult to stay cool, and being covered from head to toe with only two little breathing openings must have made for a sweaty and uncomfortable scenario. Regardless of their own discomfort, these doctors went out and tried to cure the sick; despite the plague doctors’ exceptionally high fatality rate, they did not give up.
Some individuals believe that plague doctors are anti-steampunk; plague doctors were once regarded to be superstitious. However, this is not totally right. Doctors would have used the most recent medical science at the time to treat the Black Death plague. They did not say prayers or bless the ill in the expectation that they would recover.
No, plague doctors truly attempted to cure the sick by administering doses of herbs and liquids supposed to cure the sickness. The idea of their scientific discovery adds to the appeal and idealized character of these figures being important in steampunk.
Autopsies were performed by plague doctors with approval from higher-ups, which was considered heretical and evil at the time. Despite this, these doctors used the chance to learn what was causing their patients’ deaths by studying the anatomy of those who had died.
It’s simple to see why plague doctors are such significant figures in steampunk when you look at them in this manner. They would have become scientific heroes in another era. Creating a path for medicine and alchemical healing.
Those interested in steampunk will be aware that this subculture enjoys dressing up and wearing costumes. What’s not to appreciate about a mysterious, dark-looking creature wearing a bird-like mask? If done correctly, it may be dramatic, dark, and even romantic. The grim connotations linked with this death mask are prevalent in the dark and gritty realm of steampunk.
The spirit of exploration and science are central to steampunk, and the plague doctor is an excellent conduit for these characteristics, which is why they are such significant roles.
