Retro Raunch Revisit

JUL 16, 1439: Medieval Britain bans kissing in an attempt to halt the deadly spread of bubonic plague that began around Jun 1348, fiercely swept through Asia, Europe and North Africa in the Middle Ages, and would come to be called the Black Death that by its end in 1353 wound up killing an estimated 50 million people. Symptoms of the plague inluded headaches; high fever & chills; skin discoloration; blackening of fingers & toes; chest pains; severe cough; nausea & vomiting of blood; swollen lymph nodes; painful muscle aches; and weakness & fatigue. 80% of victims died within 2-8 days after infection. The first quarantine is said to have began in 1377 (also the start of the intermittent Hundred Years War against France from May 1377 to Oct 1453) as people became more aware of the need for keeping distance from rampant transmission of the disease through bacteria. While the country had seen many major military victories, it was also grappling with territorial loss and a huge strain on resources. By the 15th Century, the fearful pandemic kept returning (also involving septicemic & pneumonic plague) in spontaneous outbreaks spread by fleas & rats with England in particular suffering mounting fatalities. In the Great Famine of 1438 with an already malnourished populace shattered by poor harvests and ruined immune systems, the further unhygienic environment contributed to entire families & villages being wiped out. King Henry VI ordered his prohibition as kissing was a common type of greeting that he wanted stopped, and to uphold his Catholic puritanism of enforcing moral order. As the Church was influencing societal norms & behaviors of the era, Henry chose to outlaw this specific expression of affection as twin extensions of religious adherence and concerns over public health. In attempting to curb inappropriate lascivious conduct, Henry's decree sparked a range of reactions from widespread uproar to clandestine romances -- all expressions of resistance against monarchical power intruding on individual private lives. In whisperings of the royal court, his piety may have had more to do with his awkwardness with women than the danger of germs. With the governmental intervention, it is believed that penalties for violation ranged from shaming to jailing. Many later argued that the kissing ban was an infringement on personal freedom and overstepped ruling authority thus defiantly testing the very boundaries between compliance & rebellion. Henry died in May 1471.