1. Wearing Beak-Shaped Masks
Plague doctors became infamous for their peculiar beak-shaped masks. The long, curved “beak” held aromatic herbs, spices, or vinegar-soaked sponges, thought to ward off the deadly miasma—poisonous air believed to spread the plague. While these masks have become an eerie symbol of the Black Death, they offered little real protection against the bacteria. Still, the haunting image endures, a testament to the lengths people would go for survival. Read more about plague doctor masks
