With everyone's attention on the "new coronavirus 2019", some people think of the "Plague Doctor" in medieval Europe.
Why talk about this character today?
Because the unique appearance of the "Plague Doctor" has become a very popular theme in tattoos.
First let's talk about what is "Plague Doctor"
From the 14th century to the 17th century, the plague (also known as the Black Death) ravaged Europe many times, from Venice in Italy, Paris in France, and London in the United Kingdom. The Black Death killed one third of the European population.
In the face of major disasters, the king fled, the pope fled, and the nobles fled, but there was still a special group who chose to go deep into the epidemic area, and they were "plague doctors".
The "Plague Doctor" is also known as the "Doctor Schnabel", and they dress in a strange way, usually wearing a black robe, a high-brimmed hat, a long cane, and a well-known beak-shaped mask .
Whenever the morning or night falls, while the moon is shining, the "Bird-Doctor" will appear at the streets and villages, checking the deaths and injuries from house to house, and recording the number of people killed by the plague.
"Bird-Doctors" are often seen as "death ambassadors" because they often appear in areas with severe casualties, and their costumes have a weird atmosphere that makes them creepy.
However, in fact, their costumes have important design reasons, because they often need to contact patients, and the mortality rate of "Doctor Beak" is also very high. This "protective suit" was invented in 1620.
The robe is made of waxed tarpaulin, the bird's beak-shaped mask is stuffed with herbs and spices to "filter" and prevent the stench of the disease, and the cane is used to help the victim to check without touching them directly.
This ritual doctor uniform looks more like the uniform dress of some members of the organization, full of mystery.
The image of the "Doctor of the Beak" abounds in Gothic folklore, gradually becoming "popular characters", and their image has also become the tattoo of choice for those who pursue mysterious and avant-garde.
The "nib doctor" tattoo design is very suitable for people who like the medieval atmosphere, and it is also very suitable for Gothic culture fans. Of course, it has also become a horror fan, because the long beak mask and black robe always give people a kind of Dark feeling.
Most of the tattoos related to the "Doctor's Beak" are dark styles, look mysterious, unique and cool, and in a sense also represent personality.
But for some people who don't like the eerie feeling, they have found a design method to soften the image of the "bird's beak" and reduce the sense of horror, such as using new traditions and other styles to interpret it, and adding some bright colour.
Back in history, the various treatments of the "Doctor Beak" may be ineffective, and they are helpless against the Black Death.
They were neither angels nor death. They were only brave individuals. Even though the medical treatment at that time was so backward, this group of people chose to appear in towns and villages every day to fight the epidemic.
Nowadays, the plague of the Middle Ages has become a distant memory, but the image of the "Doctor of the Beak" has continued in the art fields of painting, photography, and clothing.
If you are looking for some dark and mysterious tattoo design inspiration, check out these "bird beak" tattoos.
Do you love such plague doctors? Do you want to be as brave as they are? Do you want to cosplay them? If your answer is yes, then you would be interested in Takerlama's deluxe handmade plague doctor masks. Our Medieval Steampunk Black Death Plague Doctor Bird Beak Masks are Made of high quality PU leather and metal accessories in steampunk style. It fits mostly on all adults and teens. It has a headband on the back that can be adjustable for perfect fit. Just click the photo of the mask and view more details.
