What is the lung sickness in The Haunting of Bly Manor?

Welcome, one and all! We are here to discuss The Haunting of Bly Manor, specifically what disease ailed Viola Lloyd (Kate Siegel) in her final years. The episode that explains the identity of the Lady in the Lake is one of the most interesting this season.

The reason why faceless spirits are tied to the estate is revealed in the season’s eighth episode, titled “The Romance of Certain Old Clothes.” Viewers learn that sisters Viola and Perdita (Catherine Parker) were orphaned and left to run the manor after their father died about 400 years prior to the start of the series.

In order to secure their home, Viola invites their distant cousin, Arthur Lloyd, to visit the manor. Even though Perdita has started to develop feelings for Arthur, it’s Viola who ultimately wins his affections. Viola and Arthur are married and the pair soon have a daughter named Isabel. Soon after Isabel is born, Viola falls ill with some type of unspecified lung disease.

Lung disease in The Haunting of Bly Manor explained

Even as her condition worsens, forcing Viola to spend most of her time quarantined away from her family, she stays alive from sheer will. The disease makes Viola bitter and resentful, especially towards her sister. This leads to Perdita smothering Viola to death and marrying Arthur for good measure.

To figure out what lung disease Viola suffered from, let’s analyze how her condition presented itself in the show. It’s stated that she feels a “tickle” in her lungs and we see her coughing up blood. After a visit from the doctor, Perdita and Arthur are told that Viola has “the lung” and has months to live. From that point on, Viola sleeps separately from her family, implying that whatever illness she has is contagious.

As reported by PopSugar, the most likely culprit is tuberculosis, also known as consumption. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that was usually fatal in the 17th century.

After Perdita kills her sister, Viola’s restless soul grows ever more bitter. The anger she felt in the last years of her life is so powerful that she creates her own sinister gravity around Bly Manor, which is why souls who die there can never move on.