Why Was Lovesickness A Feared Disease During The Middle Ages?

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - Being in love is considered a normal condition today, but this was not the case not so long ago. During the Middle Ages, lovesickness was a feared disease.

Miniature of a lover and his lady from Christine de Pizan, 'The Book of the Queen' (BL, MS Harley 4431, f. 376: c. 1410-14).

According to Mary Wack, assistant professor of English at Stanford University, lovesickness was a fearsome, sometimes fatal, disease afflicting primarily aristocrats. She defines lovesickness as 'an obsessive fixation on another person.'

Some medieval writings connect lovesickness and bipolar disease—manic symptoms in many accompanied by depressive symptoms of weeping, insomnia, and loss of appetite.

In medieval medicine, the body and soul were closely intertwined – the body, it was thought, could reflect the state of the soul.

During the Middle Ages, doctors believed that the four bodily senses of humor must be perfectly balanced: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. Illness was assumed to be caused by disturbances to this balance.
Such ideas were based on the ancient medical texts of physicians like Galen, also known as Galen of Pergamon. Galen was a prominent Greek physician, surgeon, and philosopher in the Roman Empire.

Cupid shoots an arrow in the 'Roman de la Rose'. 14th century. Credit: Wikipedia

Those who have been in love know the meaning of rapid mood swings and depression. It's nothing extraordinary in modern times, but Hippocrates associated such" violent symptoms" with melancholy madness.
It was also believed that only the weakest suffered from lovesickness. The stronger person had more heat power in their eyes and could cause harm to others by looking directly at them.

For example, a woman might see a man she liked and make him ill by looking directly into his eyes. For this reason, love sickness was considered a form of evil eye.

Children of people who suffered from love sickness were also in danger and risked getting the same disease unless they received a good education, excellent discipline, or an orderly lifestyle.

Young children, very old people, eunuchs, and those suffering from impotency were considered essentially immune to the disease.

There were some cures, of course. Women could find a cure in games, food, music, and taking frequent baths. Males who suffered from love sickness were advised to get married or sleep with beautiful women and switch partners as often as possible.
Treatments also included exposure to light, gardens, calm, and rest.

Updated on February 12, 2024

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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