A mysterious figure dressed in full 17th-century plague doctor has been roaming through an English village for the past two weeks. According to the residents, the plague doctor is scaring the children, although some adults found it amusing.
There are complaints called in, according to the police, and they are now actively seeking the person behind the terrifying costume to warn the person to stop terrorizing the village.
Plague doctors
According to History Today, the 17th-century plague doctors were known to visit homes trying to cure the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, which over several centuries worth of outbreaks has killed more than 50 million people.
For almost 2 weeks, the mysterious figure in full black plague doctor costume has been roaming through Hellesdon, near Norwich. The figure is wearing complete long black robes, cloak, and the infamous pointed hood and beak. According to Wessex FM Radio in England, the pointed hood and beak is the origin of the term "quack".
The bubonic plague first arrived in Europe in the 1300s but would continue to spread around the world for centuries, according to the History Channel. In 17th-century Europe, doctors wore long robes steeped in beeswax and other substances. The robes were designed to protect the wearer from contamination.
The whole getup included a notorious beaked hood that in plague times was stuffed with aromatic plants that were thought to purify poisonous air, according to the National Geographic. Back then, no one knew anything about pathogens and microbes, or even the transmission of diseases from animals to humans.
Unnerving sight
Observers said that seeing someone dressed like the plague doctor in modern times is unnerving and odd. A resident, Jade Gosbell, said that it was 20 degrees outside and the Hellesdon wanderer was wearing a full black suit. The 21-year-old resident said that the wanderer looked ridiculous. She took a picture of the figure striding across a local park and added that whoever was wearing the costume was just doing it for attention because normal people would not do that.
The Norfolk Police are looking for the mysterious person in order to provide words of advice about the implications of his actions on the local community. The police told The Telegraph that officers have been made aware of an individual who was seen walking around the Hellesdon area wearing a plague outfit.
The police added that even though there were no offenses committed, they are keen to trace the individual in order to provide words of advice about the implications of the individual's actions on the local community.
Coronavirus situation in the UK
Currently, there are 171,253 coronavirus cases in the UK, with 26,771 total deaths. On March 23, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced limits on where and how people can meet and gather during the coronavirus pandemic. The lockdown officially started on March 24.
People were only allowed to shop for food and other necessities, to exercise alone or with someone from the same household, and for medical issues. There is still no announcement on when the lockdown in the UK will end.
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