There is a plague lurking in everyone, because, no one, yes, no one in the world is immune to it. I also know that I must check myself without slacking off. Otherwise, if I am not careful, I may exhale in other people's faces and pass the plague to others - Albert Camus' "Plague"

In the Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, in addition to the master Egio, there are assassins of various professions, including executioners, prostitutes, homeless men, mercenaries, and plague doctors with bird beak masks. In the game, these plague doctors serve as the Assassin Organization. Players can spend 50 Florin to heal the damage suffered by Egio, or buy medicines from them and even poisons.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Plague Doctor

Egio can buy medicine from the plague doctor

However, in real history, this bird's beak-like image was even regarded by ordinary people in the medieval era as half an angel in heaven and half a devil in hell. In fact, when it comes to bird beak masks, we have to talk about a major disaster that caused Europe to lose one-third of its population - the Black Death.

"Trimage of Death" (partial)

In 1347, a great plague originating from Asia was first landed in Sicily and Sardinia through the ubiquitous mice. Due to the influence of the medical environment at that time, the plague spread to the entire European continent at an astonishing speed between 1348 and 1349. This caused the entire European continent to lose one-third of the population. You should know that at that time, the population of the entire European population was only the sum of the three permanent residents in Beijing.

The spread of the Black Death in the European continent

This plague plunged the entire medieval Europe into continuous darkness, thus triggering a crisis in religious belief, politics, economy, and social structure, and even to a certain extent, it gave birth to contemporary Western civilization and ushered in the dawn of the Renaissance.

The birthplace of the Renaissance, Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Hundred Flowers in Florence

In this environment of lack of medical treatment, plague doctors are born. As the name suggests, a plague doctor refers to a doctor who specializes in dealing with plague. Most plague doctors are hired by townships, so the staff composition is relatively complicated. In addition to Mongolian doctors who cannot gain a foothold in the hospital, there are also barbers, butchers and even fruit salesmen. Although the level is not high, the work of plague doctors is worthy of admiration. Every time there is a plague outbreak, in eras with low medical conditions, famous doctors are often helpless. At this time, the one who stands at the forefront is the Bird Beak Doctor. In the 6th century AD, the earliest plague doctors appeared in the Byzantine Plague. Due to medieval religious doctrine, did not allow dissection of corpses, but plague doctors are an exception.

Medieval Plague Doctor

Medieval barbers also assumed the responsibility of doctors

As a profession with a long history, plague doctors also have their own equipment. As in the medical conditions at that time, doctors were unanimous when studying plague, the disease was transmitted by odor rather than by bacteria. To prevent infection, a doctor named Charles de Lorme invented a special protective suit. This protective suit is mainly composed of a black wide-brimmed hat, a bird's beak mask, a black robe, leather breeches, leather gloves and wooden sticks.

Plague Doctor's Equipment

Black wide-brimmed hat

At that time, the black wide-brimmed hat was generally used as a symbol of identity, and it could also play a certain role in shielding fluid.

Black wide-brimmed hat

Bird Beak Mask

As the shape is as its name, the hollow part of the pointed beak of the bird's beak mask is generally filled with some special medicinal aroma plants and spices to filter the air and cover the smell of rotten corpses. The eyes are set as glass eyepieces, which also play a certain protective role while not affecting the vision.

Bird Beak Mask

Black Robe

Black robes are usually waxed linen or canvas shirts that extend their length to the feet to minimize skin exposure.

Roof

Leather breeches

Similar to the leather breeches worn by fishermen to protect lower leg and groin infections. Since plague tends to appear first in the lymph nodes, special attention is paid to protecting the armpits, neck and groin.

Breeches

Leather Gloves

Leather gloves can avoid direct contact with the patient during the consultation.

Leather Gloves

Wooden walking stick

The wooden cane is used to lift the patient's sheets or clothing to check whether he or she dies, direct the patient how to treat the disease, or drive away people who are too close to him to avoid the other party carrying plague virus.

In the Black Death environment at that time, the plague doctors could do very limited things, and in most cases they could only take care of patients and deal with aftermath matters to count the number of deaths. The plague doctors' work gradually became witness to death and dissection, and was also the object of many patients' death before their death. Therefore, over time, this strange bird beak dress gradually became a symbol of death.

Le Petit Journal

However, with the gradual improvement of the social medical system, plague doctors have gradually been replaced by more professional doctors, but the bird beak masks originally used by plague doctors have been passed down and have become frequent visitors to film and television, carnivals, and game works.He has a certain position in the steampunk world.

Bird beak mask at European carnival

Exploration and Rebellion

As mentioned above, Steampunk is keen on the exploration of science and the revolution of the steam era. Plague doctors advocate dissection of patients and explore medical science in the religious atmosphere at that time. This sense of loneliness that is untolerated by the secular world is just mixed with the romantic spirit of exploration pursued by Steampunk, so the combination of bird's beak mask and steampunk is just right.

Bird beak mask and scientific experiments

Death and Fear

Plague doctors were born in death, just like in the medical environment at that time. The plague doctor either brings death or is on the way to death. Because of this reason, it perfectly conforms to the fear element of steampunk. With such a dramatic image, it is difficult not to associate steampunk with the bird's beak mask.

Death and Fear

Sexuality and Aesthetics

Steampunk elements advocate nostalgic aesthetics and the erotic elements of the subculture in the Steam Age; and leather is an indispensable fabric in the plague doctor's outfit. The mysterious elements of the bird's beak and the abstinence of leather perfectly fill the audience's eyes, full of lust and mysterious hints, which is exactly in line with the shackles of asceticism, religion and culture that broke through the shackles of asceticism, religion and culture in that Steam Age. It is precisely because of its aesthetic independence and the dark and dark elements that are opposite to mainstream culture. In this way, it is not surprising that plague doctors with "symbol of death" can "capture" the world of friends.

Leather and Sex

In short, the plague doctors belong to the mark of an era. Although this mark is accompanied by darkness, death, and fear, in the European continent where the plague broke out, we should give them enough admiration and respect because they are on the front line of death, and at the same time we are also glad that the era is gone.