Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id KAA18559 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 2 May 2001 10:53:18 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745E31@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Dance craze Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 10:49:35 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
I may be wrong but I believe, dance crazes in Europe were closely associated
with outbreaks of the plague, and dance crazes were often the results of the
profound psychological impact of plagues on small commmunities. Exactly why
dance became the favoured outlet, I don't know. Maybe people thought
vigourous movement kept the plague at bay.
A similar occurrence that comes to me is the recent argument that witch
hunts were closely related to certain kinds of food poisoning (I forget the
damn condition now, I know it had to do with rye) that produced the fever,
hallucinations, and violent spasms that people of the time interpreted as
bewitchment. They would then looked for someone unpopular in the community
to declare a witch, and hang, burn etc.
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Trupeljak Ozren
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Tuesday, May 1, 2001 10:21 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Dance craze
>
> While I was searching through the bunch of papers and old references to
> find some good sources for Cathar heresy question, I found (again) an
> interesting tidbit of information that I never followed through.
> It seems that Catholic Church and other Christian sects expended much
> effort during 4th century, and again durin middle ages, to stomp out
> the practice of dancing. The effort of the Church was doubled in
> thirteenth century due to the outbreak of "dance epidemics and the
> spread of dancing diseases which sometime caused the afflicted to flock
> dancingly to various religious shrines so as to obtain relief" (quote
> from R.Joseph's "The Naked Neuron"). Does anyone know anything more
> about that? The reference book that seemed to deal with the subject was
> J. Meerloo's "Dance craze and sacred dance" but I was unable to procur
> a copy...
> Any ideas why would, and how, such a strange thing as "dance epidemcs"
> appear and/or spread through population? What could be behind it?
> I have this feeling that it is important and connected with recent
> discussions on religion/behavior memes etc...
>
> Anyway ;)
>
>
> =====
> There are very few man - and they are exceptions - who are able to think
> and feel beyond the present moment.
>
> Carl von Clausewitz
>
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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