The Black Death and the Dancing Mania of the Middle Ages

Download or read book The Black Death and the Dancing Mania of the Middle Ages written by Karl Hecker and published by . This book was released on 2011-06-16 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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. It involved groups of people, sometimes thousands at a time, who danced uncontrollably and bizarrely. They would also scream, shout, and sing, and claim to have visions or hallucinations. The mania affected men, women, and children, who danced until they collapsed from exhaustion.Contents:IntroductionGeneral Observations About The Black DeathThe DiseaseIts Causes and SpreadMortalityMoral EffectsPhysiciansThe Dancing Mania in Northern EuropeThe Dancing Mania in Southern EuropeThe Dancing Mania in North AfricaSympathy