Vitus. The Dancing Mania, the Dancing Plague; stories say a … It involved groups of people dancing erratically, sometimes thousands at a time. The mania affected men, women, and children who danced until they collapsed from exhaustion. Dancing plague of 1518, event in which hundreds of citizens of Strasbourg (then a free city within the Holy Roman Empire, now in France) danced uncontrollably and apparently unwillingly for days on end; the mania lasted for about two months before ending as mysteriously as it began.. One of the most prominent theories is that victims suffered from ergot poisoning, which was known as St. Anthony's fire in the Middle Ages. Mania refers to an abnormally elevated mood state. Hey, whats one of your mania songs? I have bipolar disorder — an affliction that causes people to drift between extreme happiness and crushing sadness . A variant, tarantism, was prevalent in southern Italy from the 15th to the 17th centuries, and was attributed at the time to bites from the tarantula spider. "[2]:136 The earliest known outbreak of dancing mania occurred in the 7th century,[8] and it reappeared many times across … [2]:133 Some even had sexual intercourse. Historians, psychologists, and scientists made in-depth research on the case in order to provide a scientific explanation for this mysterious event. Dancing mania affected all ages, men, boys, women and girls alike. Although we will never know … The outbreak has been documented and known to have affected thousands of people of all ages. Dancing mania (also known as dancing plague, choreomania, St. John's Dance and St. Vitus' Dance) was a social phenomenon that occurred primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. [4] A disease of the nervous system, chorea is characterized by symptoms resembling those of dancing mania,[2]:134 which has also rather unconvincingly been considered a form of epilepsy. [5]:39, Dancing mania appears to have completely died out by the mid-17th century. Some died if there was no music to accompany their dancing. Neurological implications and neuropsychological considerations on folk music and dance. [5]:43 Sources agree that dancing mania was one of the earliest-recorded forms of mass hysteria,[2]:135[11]:73 and describe it as a "psychic epidemic", with numerous explanations that might account for the behaviour of the dancers. [2]:136, In his research into social phenomena, author Robert Bartholomew notes that contemporary sources record that participants often did not reside where the dancing took place. During floods and damp periods, ergots were able to grow and affect rye and other crops. [2]:139 Midelfort describes how the music encouraged others to join in, however, and thus effectively made things worse, as did the dancing places that were sometimes set up. It is speculated to have been a mass psychogenic illness, in which physical symptoms with no known physical cause are observed to affect a group of people, as a form of social influence. [2]:139 Whether the dancing was spontaneous, or an organized event, is also debated. [2]:136 Unlike dancing mania, tarantism was confined to Italy and southern Europe. [5]:34, Prayers were also made to St. John the Baptist, who some believed also caused the dancing. [3]:126 Midelfort, however, describes how some ended up in a state of ecstasy. It is the ultimate high — you on the dance floor, footloose and fancy free. Sydenham's chorea results from childhood infection with Group A beta-haemolytic Streptococcus and is reported to occur in 20–30% of people with … Dancing mania (also known as dancing plague, choreomania, St John's Dance and, historically, St. Vitus' Dance) was a social phenomenon that occurred primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. Relicts of dancing mania: the dancing procession of Echternach: Author : Krack, Paul. [8] Another incident, in 1278, involved about 200 people dancing on a bridge over the River Meuse resulting in its collapse. [2]:139 Participants demonstrated odd reactions to the color red; in A History of Madness in Sixteenth-Century Germany, Midelfort notes they "could not perceive the color red at all",[5]:32 and Bartholomew reports "it was said that dancers could not stand... the color red, often becoming violent on seeing [it]". [2]:140[3]:126[5]:43[9], Other theories suggest that the symptoms were similar to encephalitis, epilepsy, and typhus, but as with ergotism, those conditions cannot account for all symptoms. Bartholomew notes that some "paraded around naked"[2]:132 and made "obscene gestures". USA.gov. Possible Causes (1) Dance Mania was ‘A Mass Psychogenic Disorder’  |  This site needs JavaScript to work properly. "Dancing mania" is derived from the term "choreomania", from the Greek choros (dance) and mania (madness), and is also known as "dancing plague." This book traces the emergence and spread of the choreomania concept through colonial medical and ethnographic circles, showing how fantasies of instability—and of the Oriental other—haunted scientific modernity. This involved jumping through fire and smoke, in an attempt to ward off disease. Many of the survivors were restored to full health at a nearby chapel dedicated to St. They hardly stopped,[9] and some danced until they broke their ribs and subsequently died. [2]:135, Some participated in further activities, such as tying themselves up with vines and whipping each other, pretending to sword fight, drinking large amounts of wine, and jumping into the sea. Bartholomew notes how participants in this ritual would often continue to jump and leap long after the flames had gone. This compulsion to dance—referred to as dancing mania —sometimes gripped thousands of people at a time (Figure). Affecting thousands of people across several centuries, dancing mania was not an isolated event, and was well documented in contemporary reports. 1999 Dec 10;53(9):2169-72. doi: 10.1212/wnl.53.9.2169. You gotta listen to it LOUD! 53, no. [4], The outbreaks of dancing mania varied, and several characteristics of it have been recorded. Further episodes occurred in 1375 and 1376, with incidents in France, Germany and Netherlands,[2]:138 and in 1381 there was an outbreak in Augsburg. Vitus. [2]:132 One of the earliest-known incidents occurred sometime in the 1020s in Bernburg, where 18 peasants began singing and dancing around a church, disturbing a Christmas Eve service. The exact aetiology of the Dancing Plague (or Dancing Mania) is still unclear. Rethinking the Dancing Mania. [5]:35, Numerous hypotheses have been proposed for the causes of dancing mania, and it remains unclear whether it was a real illness or a social phenomenon. Its earliest-known outbreak was in the 13th century, and the only antidote known was to dance to particular music to separate the venom from the blood. Tarantism, dancing mania and demonopathy: the anthro-political aspects of ‘mass psychogenic illness’ - Volume 24 Issue 2 - Robert E. Bartholomew. Also known as St. Vitus's dance, between … [5]:37–8, In Italy, a similar phenomenon was tarantism, in which the victims were said to have been poisoned by a tarantula or scorpion. [12]:191, Another popular theory is that the outbreaks were all staged,[11]:71 and the appearance of strange behaviour was due to its unfamiliarity. 9, p. 2169-72 ... a ritual with mixed pagan-Christian origins related to Saint Vitus' dance. Also referred to as the ‘dancing disease’ or ‘dancing mania’, choreomania was a mysterious affliction that notably spread throughout Germany, France, and other parts of Europe between the Middle Ages and the seventeenth century, causing sufferers to dance, writhe, and jerk uncontrollably, apparently without clear medical cause. Therefore, people suffering from this condition would proceed to places dedicated to the said saint in order to pray for deliverance. "[3]:125 The term was coined by Paracelsus,[3]:126 and the condition was initially considered a curse sent by a saint,[4] usually St. John the Baptist[5]:32 or St. Vitus, and was therefore known as "St. Vitus' Dance" or "St. John's Dance". Dancing mania broke out in small villages and large cities all over continental Europe. Sirois, F. (1982). Today we have questions on the medieval dancing plague, ketogenic diets, colony collapse disorder among honey bees, the potential devolution of humanity, death from cinnamon, and how we know that the Egyptians are the ones who built the pyramids. [5]:32, Other scientists have described dancing mania as a "collective mental disorder", "collective hysterical disorder" and "mass madness". [2]:132, Robert Marks, in his study of hypnotism, notes that some decorated their hair with garlands. Relicts of dancing mania: the dancing procession of Echternach. centuries. In the 14th century, the dancing mania was linked to a corruption of the festival of St. John's Day by ancient pagan customs, but by the 16th century it was commonly considered an ordeal sent by a saint, or a punishment from God for people's sins. [2]:138 What is certain, however, is that dancers seemed to be in a state of unconsciousness,[6]:201 and unable to control themselves. When I’m manic, which is pretty rare these days, I often find myself dancing with myself, blasting music in my apartment. It involved groups of people dancing erratically, sometimes thousands at a time. This page was last edited on 21 December 2020, at 23:53. It was certainly real, and it's unsolved. Dancing mania has also been known as epidemic chorea and epidemic dancing. The term was coined by Paracelsus, [3] and the condition was initially considered … Dancing mania (also known as dancing plague, choreomania, St John's Dance, flash mobs, and, historically, St. Vitus' Dance ) was a social phenomenon that occurred primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. The exact aetiology of the Dancing Plague (or Dancing Mania) is still unclear. [2]:134 Dancers would perform a tarantella, accompanied by music which would eventually "cure" the victim, at least temporarily. Epub 2015 Jan 31. 2011 Mar-Apr;45(2):277-87. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! [2]:136, The earliest-known outbreak of dancing mania occurred in the 7th century,[8] and it reappeared many times across Europe until about the 17th century, when it stopped abruptly. Vitus. In July 1518, a woman whose name was given as Frau (Mrs.) Troffea (or Trauffea) stepped into the … [Dancing manias. It was common until the 17th century, but ended suddenly, with only very small outbreaks in Italy until as late as 1959. The mania affected men, women, and children, who danced … Definition. Sufferers typically had symptoms resembling those of dancing mania, such as headaches, trembling, twitching and visions. [5]:39 Typically, the mania was contagious but it often struck small groups, such as families and individuals. While medieval dance frenzies have long been regarded as a classic example of stress-induced mental disorder affecting mostly women, there is much evidence to the contrary. The only thing linking these locations is the fact that almost all of them were located on routes used by pilgrims to visit holy sites. Psychiatr Pol. Somewhere between 50 and 400 people took to dancing for days. [2]:137 Religious cults may have been acting out well-organised dances, in accordance with ancient Greek and Roman rituals. Get the latest public health information from CDC: https://www.coronavirus.gov, Get the latest research information from NIH: https://www.nih.gov/coronavirus, Find NCBI SARS-CoV-2 literature, sequence, and clinical content: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sars-cov-2/. [2]:133 It occurred only in the summer months. As with dancing mania, people would suddenly begin to dance, sometimes affected by a perceived bite or sting and were joined by others, who believed the venom from their own old bites was reactivated by the heat or the music. Scenes from the archives of medical history, neurology, psychiatry, sociology, religion, and popular journalism show how the discursive history of the ‘dancing … Later authors suggested that the dancing mania was a mass stress-induced psychosis, a mass psychogenic illness, a culturally determined form of ritualized behavior, a manifestation of religious ecstasy, or even the result of food poisoning caused by the toxic and psychoactive chemical products of ergot fungi. With them they brought customs and behaviour that were strange to the local people. NLM [5]:43 It has been suggested that the outbreaks may have been due to cultural contagion triggered, in times of particular hardship, by deeply rooted popular beliefs in the region regarding angry spirits capable of inflicting a "dancing curse" to punish their victims. Between culture and medicine]. [11]:72 Hetherington and Munro describe dancing mania as a result of "shared stress";[11]:73 people may have danced to relieve themselves of the stress and poverty of the day,[11]:72 and in so doing, attempted to become ecstatic and see visions. Often musicians accompanied dancers, due to a belief that music would treat the mania, but this tactic sometimes backfired by encouraging more to join in. [2]:134 The first major outbreak of the mania occurred between 1373 and 1374, with incidents reported in England, Germany and the Netherlands.[5]:33. [2]:139, It is certain that many participants of dancing mania were psychologically disturbed,[2]:136 but it is also likely that some took part out of fear,[9] or simply wished to copy everyone else. However, in the 16th century Paracelsus discounted the idea that the saints caused or interceded in the cure of the dancing mania; he instead suggested a psychogenic or malingered etiology, and this reformulation brought the dancing mania within the purview of physicians. A mitigation in the form of the Dancing Mania had thus clearly taken place at the commencement of the sixteenth century. This disorder, so different from the original type, evidently approximates to the modern chorea; or, rather, is in perfect accordance with it, even to the less essential symptom of laughter. Describe modern biological and psychological perspectives on the origin of psychological disorders 3. [5]:33 Further incidents occurred in 1418 in Strasbourg, where people fasted for days and the outbreak was possibly caused by exhaustion. A disease of the nervous system, chorea is characterized by symptoms resembling those of dancing mania, which has also rather unconvincingly been considered a form of epilepsy. [7] Dancing mania has also been known as epidemic chorea[3]:125 and epidemic dancing. Groups of people would suddenly begin to dance with wild abandon. The term was coined by Paracelsus, and the condition was initially considered a curse sent by a saint, usually St. John the Baptist or St. Vitus, and was therefore known as "St. Vitus' Dance" or "St. John's Dance". [2]:136 Others acted like animals,[2]:133 and jumped,[5]:32 hopped and leaped about.[5]:33. [1], The several theories proposed range from religious cults being behind the processions to people dancing to relieve themselves of stress and put the poverty of the period out of their minds. Victims of dancing mania often ended their processions at places dedicated to that saint, who was prayed to in an … Bartholomew also notes that dancers "could not stand pointed shoes", and that dancers enjoyed their feet being hit. [11]:71 In the end, most simply dropped down, overwhelmed with exhaustion. [5]:32 Others claimed to be possessed by demons,[2]:136 or Satan,[9] therefore exorcisms were often performed on dancers. [4], Media related to Dancing mania at Wikimedia Commons, This article is about the social phenomenon sometimes formerly called "St. Vitus' dance". Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. It seems unlikely that Dancing It involved groups of people dancing erratically, sometimes thousands at a time. [2]:136[2]:137 Despite being banned at the time, these rituals could be performed under the guise of uncontrollable dancing mania. There is no consensus among modern-day scholars as to the cause of dancing mania. It is characterized by such symptoms as inappropriate elation, increased energy, irritability, severe insomnia, rapid or loud speech, disconnected and racing thoughts, impulsivity, markedly increased energy and activity level, increased libido (sexual desire), poor judgment, and inappropriate social … Affected individuals participated in continuous, prolonged, erratic, often frenzied and sometimes erotic, dancing. ... categories that reflect stereotypes of female normality which assume the presence of a transcultural disease or disorder entity, underemphasizing or ignoring the significance of episodes as culturally conditioned … Perspectives on epidemic hysteria. [2]:135 Despite their differences, tarantism and dancing mania are often considered synonymous. The dancing plague: a public health conundrum. Another of the biggest outbreaks occurred in July 1518, in Strasbourg (see Dancing plague of 1518), where a woman began dancing in the street and between 50 and 400 people joined her. 2015;217:187-205. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2014.11.027. [6]:201 However, not all outbreaks involved foreigners, and not all were particularly calm. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "A forgotten plague: making sense of dancing mania", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dancing_mania&oldid=995609519, Articles needing additional references from July 2020, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The plague is featured as one of the different disease outbreaks that can be encountered in the world of the game.  |  For the infection resulting in jerking movements more often called by that name, see. 217–236). [11]:70 People believed that the dancing was a curse brought about by St. Vitus;[9] they responded by praying[3]:126 and making pilgrimages to places dedicated to St. Retrospective historical review of this public health problem reveals claims for causative factors including demonic possession, epilepsy, the bite of a tarantula, ergot poisoning and social adversity. There are so many sad threads out right now, thought I would throw up some Dancing Mania Madness. Sydenham's chorea, also known as chorea minor and historically and occasionally referred to as St Vitus' dance, is a disorder characterized by rapid, uncoordinated jerking movements primarily affecting the face, hands and feet. On 24 June 1374, one of the biggest outbreaks began in Aachen, (Germany),[3]:126 before spreading to other places such as Cologne, Flanders, Franconia, Hainaut, Metz, Strasbourg, Tongeren, Utrecht,[5]:33 and countries such as Italy and Luxembourg. [10]:60 Bartholomew notes that music was often played while participants danced, as that was believed to be an effective remedy,[2]:136 and during some outbreaks musicians were even employed to play. The dancing plague (or dance epidemic) of 1518 was a case of dancing mania that occurred in Strasbourg, Alsace (now modern-day France), in the Holy Roman Empire in July 1518. ), Mass psychogenic illness: A social psychological analysis (pp. Later authors suggested that the dancing mania was a mass stress-induced psychosis, a mass psychogenic illness, a culturally determined form of ritualized behavior, a manifestation of religious ecstasy, or even the result of food poisoning caused by the toxic and psychoactive chemical products of ergot fungi. Only music provided any relief for tarantism. Paracelsus advocated various mystical, psychological, and pharmacological approaches, depending on the presumptive etiologic factors with individual patients. [2]:134, A study of the phenomenon in 1959 by religious history professor Ernesto de Martino revealed that most cases of tarantism were probably unrelated to spider bites. National Center for Biotechnology Information, Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. It was nevertheless poorly understood, and remedies were based on guesswork. The perspective used in explaining a psychological disorder is extremely important, in that it will consist of explicit assumptions regarding how best to study the disorder, its etiology, and what kinds of therapies or treatments are most beneficial. Dancing Mania to produce a definition of the disorder: choreomania may be defined as a psycho-physical disease, in which the will, intellectual faculties, and Describe the diathesis-stress model and its importance to the study of psychopathology Scientists and mental health professionals may ad… St. Vitus' dance later came to mean Sydenham chorea, a disorder that struck children and did cause involuntary tremors in the arms, legs and face. Victims of dancing mania often ended their processions at places dedicated to that saint,[2]:136 who was prayed to in an effort to end the dancing;[3]:126 incidents often broke out around the time of the feast of St. Such people would travel from place to place, and others would join them along the way. [5]:33 Further incidents occurred during the 16th century, when the mania was at its peak: in 1536 in Basel, involving a group of children; and in 1551 in Anhalt, involving just one man. The term "dancing mania" was derived from "choreomania," a concatenation of choros (dance) and mania (madness). [Tarantism in Spain in the eighteen century: latrodectism and suggestion]. Many participants admitted that they had not been bitten, but believed they were infected by someone who had been, or that they had simply touched a spider. [5]:32 Throughout, dancers screamed, laughed, or cried,[2]:132 and some sang. Ergotism can cause hallucinations and convulsions, but cannot account for the other strange behaviour most commonly identified with dancing mania. [2]:133 Throughout, those affected by dancing mania suffered from a variety of ailments, including chest pains, convulsions, hallucinations, hyperventilation,[2]:136 epileptic fits,[3]:126 and visions. Perhaps the strangest plague of them all is dancing mania, which mainly broke out in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. In reality, dancing manias did not have a single cause, but component causes likely included psychogenic illness, malingering, and ritualized behaviors. [6]:202, Further outbreaks occurred during the 13th century, including one in 1237 in which a large group of children travelled from Erfurt to Arnstadt (about 20 km (12 mi)), jumping and dancing all the way,[6]:201 in marked similarity to the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, a legend that originated at around the same time. 1999, vol. Would you like email updates of new search results? Neurology. Discuss supernatural perspectives on the origin of psychological disorders, in their historical context 2. This could have been a florid example of psychogenic movement disorder happening in mass hysteria or mass psychogenic …  |  The 1374 outbreak occurred only decades after the Black Death, and was treated in a similar fashion: dancers were isolated, and some were exorcised. The main antagonist, Purge, in Space Channel 5 Part 2, he creates a dancing mania plague throughout the galaxy, using radio waves. Later authors suggested that the dancing mania was a mass stress-induced psychosis, a mass psychogenic illness, a culturally determined form of ritualized behavior, a manifestation of religious ecstasy, or even the result of food poisoning caused by the toxic and psychoactive chemical products of ergot fungi. [10]:60 Bartholomew also notes that observers of dancing mania were sometimes treated violently if they refused to join in. As well as making for an interesting historical minerva and an entertaining parody (above), dancing mania has been widely discussed and explanations attempted by many authors over the years. [5]:46 According to John Waller, although numerous incidents were recorded, the best documented cases are the outbreaks of 1374 and 1518, for which there is abundant contemporary evidence. Consequently, during outbreaks in the 14th and 15th centuries, the dancing mania was considered an issue for magistrates and priests, not physicians, even though the disorder proved intractable to decrees and exorcisms. It involved groups of people dancing erratically, sometimes thousands at a time. MPI involves the appearance of symptoms that spread throughout a population, but don’t have a clear physical origin. One of the first major outbreaks was in Aachen, in the Holy Roman Empire (in modern-day Germany), in 1374, and it quickly spread throughout Europe; one particularly notable outbreak occurred in Strasbourg in 1518 in Alsace, also in the Holy Roman Empire (now France). The view that tarantism, dancing mania and demonopathy participants were primarily composed of females who were illiterate, mentally disturbed and reacting to physical and social stress, remains in effect today. [1], "Dancing mania" is derived from the term "choreomania", from the Greek choros (dance) and mania (madness),[2]:133–4 and is also known as "dancing plague. HHS Dancing mania Dancing mania (also known as dancing plague, choreomania, St. John's Dance and St. Vitus's Dance) was a social phenomenon that occurred ... dancing mania as a "collective mental disorder," "collective hysterical disorder," and "mass madness. Published in Neurology. Pick up a textbook on abnormal psychology and in the first chapter you are likely to find a discussion of the dance manias. [2]:134, As with dancing mania, participants apparently did not like the color black,[2]:133 and women were reported to be most affected. The same can be said of Apraxia, a neurological disorder in which victims lose the ability to carry out the movements they intended. [2]:132[4], Women have often been portrayed in modern literature as the usual participants in dancing mania, although contemporary sources suggest otherwise. Identify which disorders generally show the highest degree of heritability 4. [5]:37 In the 17th century, incidents of recurrent dancing were recorded by professor of medicine Gregor Horst, who noted: Several women who annually visit the chapel of St. Vitus in Drefelhausen... dance madly all day and all night until they collapse in ecstasy. Dancing Mania of 1518 These 400 people kept dancing until their feet bleeding from dancing could not carry them. [2]:137 Bartholomew describes how dancers wore "strange, colorful attire" and "held wooden sticks". NIH Retrospective historical review of this public health problem reveals claims for causative factors including demonic possession, epilepsy, the bite of a tarantula, ergot poisoning and social adversity. It was initially considered that the dancing mania was a curse sent by a saint, commonly thought to be St. John the Baptist or St. Vitus, hence the name of the condition. 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Murphy ( eds ward off disease eighteen..., as Sydenham chorea dances, in his study of hypnotism, notes that observers of dancing mania between 11th. Often called by that name, see been recorded threads out right now thought! Psychology and in the first chapter you are likely to find a discussion of the dancing mania diagnosed.

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