Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id BAA20617 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 3 May 2001 01:43:43 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [209.240.220.215] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: RE: Dance craze Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 20:39:31 -0400 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F2167EjQxzmWecm9t0C000001c0@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 03 May 2001 00:39:32.0589 (UTC) FILETIME=[852F99D0:01C0D369] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: Douglas Brooker <dbrooker@clara.co.uk>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: RE: Dance craze
>Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 12:37:22 +0100
>
> > 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.
>
>Here's a link on an outbreak of St Vistus's Dance in 1418.
>
>http://plague.law.umkc.edu/Books/hecker/Death13.htm
>
>
> > 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.
>
>Ergotism, rye infected with the fungus "Claviceps purpurea" - there is
>a chemical relationship with lysergic acid.
>
>Alcohol is a likely candidate. Also events like witchhunts or
>revolutions can be used to settle old scores or as means of acquiring
>other's property (as in the american and other revolutions)
>
>D
>
>
If I typed them correctly (highly unlikely) here are some links with regard
to ergot mania. I'm a little skeptical about buying the view that rye fungus
may be to blame for dance mania and/or the Salem witches, but it's an
interesting speculation none-the-less.
http://www.csicop.org/si/2000-07/dancing-mania.html
http://chemweb.calpoly.edu/chem/bailey/377/PapersSp2000/Phil/ERGOTALKALOIDS.html
http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1037.htm
Using www.google.com as an engine merely type something like "ergot and
vitus and whatever" to view other URL's. There are probably alternatives to
ergotism as an explanation.
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