History of Smallpox
Smallpox was first found in urban civilizations of Egypt and South Asia. The mummified remains of Ramses V of Egypt, who died in 1157 B.C.E, show pockmarks on his face and hands, marks that resembled smallpox scars. Smallpox spread to India via Egyptian traders in the first millennium. Egyptians may also have spread smallpox to Europe and Africa as well. Since many of these civilizations feared smallpox, they often had gods or goddesses that they worshipped in order to be free from its wrath.
"The history of the spread of smallpox is fragmentary. The large populations necessary for the virus to sustain itself over long periods were present in the fertile river valleys of the Nile, the Indus, and the Yangtze. With trade, migration, and wars, smallpox emerged periodically from these endemic centers to devastate more distant populations. In the newly infected areas, many would die; the survivors would be immune, and the number of susceptible people would steadily decrease until the virus could no longer be transmitted. It would die out, sometimes for many years." - D.A. Henderson, MD; Smallpox: The Death of a Disease |
"The pervasive impact of smallpox on human cultures around the globe was reflected in the widespread practice of worshipping gods, goddesses, and patron saints associated with the disease. Europeans throughout the Middle Ages revered St. Nicaise, a fifth-century of Rheims who survived smallpox through holy practices a year before his martyrdom at the hands of the Huns. In Japan, a picture of Tametomo, a twelfth-century hero who killed a smallpox demon, was hung in the rooms of smallpox victims to aid their recovery. In West Africa, the Yoruba and neighboring tribes worshipped a smallpox deity called Sopona, and in Brazil, the god Omolou held sway over the disease. In China, Buddhists, Taoists, and Confucians alike revered the smallpox goddess T'ou Shen Niang-Niang, and in northern India, Hindus erected numerous shrines and temples in honor of Shitala Mata."
- Jonathan B. Tucker; Scourge: The Once and Future Threat of Smallpox |