The Truly Grim Weather that Inspired Hansel & Gretel

and it's really not what you'd expect

Depiction of the Great Famine of 1315.

Let me start off today’s Substack by saying that the 14th century might just be the worst century to have ever occurred.

There was a confluence of multiple disastrous events that made the 14th century a complete horror show and it began with the Great Famine of 1315, which wiped out a 10th of the European population. This hellscape was followed by the 100 Years War and to top it off with more cheer, the century ended with a bang - the ‘OG’ pandemic: The Black Plague.

But nothing happens in a vacuum. This series of unfortunate events didn’t just occur out of nowhere. There was a scientific storm brewing in the background - literally.

For the three centuries leading up to the 1315 fame, Europe was experiencing what is known now as the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), meaning it was gorgeously warm for 300 years (830-1100 CE) and it was the highest temperatures Europe had experienced in 8000 years.At the same time, there was an increase in solar radiation and a decrease in volcanic activity. This atypical warm period allowed farmers to plant crops on areas of land that were previously inhospitable for farming. The result was a crop surplus, which led to a population boom from 10 to 30 million.

Europe was thriving under this sun kissed and now abundant land. With garden fetes galore, it felt like the eternal summer. To quote Game of Thrones, all those who were born during this time were “sweet summer children” and had no idea that winter was indeed coming…