Famines
The famines were a serious problem throughout the middle ages. The general population would run out of food supplies due to a drought or other complication, and things would literally fall apart. People would die of hunger, die of disease, and even resort to cannibalism to stay alive. One major famine occurred during the 14th century. It was said to have killed half a million people in three years. The primary reason to this famine's large impact was overpopulation. The climate was changing as well. Summers were cooler and more wet which would lead into autumn storms, and when malnutrition was rife people were ever so prone to sickness. By 1317 all social classes were suffering. Animals, which provided small amounts of income, were slaughtered for food, and older people in families would voluntarily stop eating to benefit younger children. By that summer the weather went back to normal, and it wasn't until 1325 that full recovery from this famine was made. The later famines were primarily caused by high costs of bread which was a staple food. "All that remained ( of that family ) was a widow and an orphan. Because of the price of bread."- Account of a famine. What was all too clear from this eyewitness account was that when prices would skyrocket from lack of grain to make bread, families who would normally survive were driven to starvation, sickness, and eventually death. This was all for a profit for those who held the bread for sale. The situation of these people simply exemplifies the greedy nature of humans, and contributes a final foundation for the Middle Ages by another name: The Decline of Society.