El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-13

hundred tales which go to make up
the book were supposedly narrated TO
each other by a party of ladies and
gentlemen who were refugees on
nearby country estate during period
of ten days.
The Dance of Death.
Directly traceabIe to the human mis-
cry growing out of the terrible cpl
denies of the plague and, the black
the dance of death, which was fatal
to untold thousands.
1t had it's rise in Germany in the
14th century, and was at first an al
legorical miracle play or mystery,
like the passion play, intended to re-
mind living behOlders of the imminent
presence and power OF king death, the
great destroyer of all mankind. The
action consisted Of dialogues between
death and number of typical follow
ers. portrayed in or near churches by
various religious orders. From Ger
many the fashion spread to France
and the low countries. became extra
ordinarily popular, and was treated In
every possible way in pictures, tap
estries, and bas-reliefs.
It remained for human terror to de-
velop the old mystery play into the
dancing mania, fatal to hundreds of
thousands Of people throughout Eu
rope. When the whole continent was
scourged by successive visitations Of
the plague and the black death. a
blind terror took possession of the
people. Frequently this was height
ened by fanatics who declared that
the scourges were the visible judg-
ments of an offended deity To fg-
norant and educated alike, familiar
with the old morality plays, death be-
/ came a real and dreadful personality,
stalking over the land, sNsOoping down
on city and town, village and hamlet,
now in the guise Of a grisly skeleton.
now mounted on pale horse as in the
book of Revelation.
In the cities and town of Europe
there appeared in the streets crowds
OF dancing men and women who be-
came so frenzfed that they lost all
semblance Of self-control, leaping and
cavorting until they dropped dead.
Some declared that they saw visions:
others, in despair Of escaping from
the plague or black death. adopted an
attitude suggestive Of the reckless
saying: Let US eat. drink and be
merry, for tomorrow we die
Wild Excuses Take Place.
Naturally, under cover Of this quasi
religious mania, the widest excesses
took place, and there Is little doubt
that many impostOrs joined the ranks
of the enthusiasts in the hope Of plum
der or of license There is no means
was the mortality, but It is certain that
in the low countries, Metz, Cologne,
and Strasburg thousands persisted in
this weird dancing mania
The spectacle must have been strange
and terrifying. The deluded enthusi-
asts formed circles. hand in hand, and
losing all control Of themselves. con-
tinued, regardless OF bystanders,
dancing until at length they fell TO
the pavement in a state Of exhaust
ion Then they complained OF ex-
IRENE depression, and groaned as il in
the agonies Of death until cloths were
twisted tightly about their waists or
forheads, when they sometimes recov-
cred or remained normal until the next
attack
Sometimes vigorous cold water
douches had remedial effect In
other cases the sound of music brought
relief. while another remedy consisted
IN violent thumpings and punchings
oy the spectators, some Of whom in
turn, especially children, became in
fected by these mad orgies
Neither See Nor Hear.
While dancing, the victims neither
saw nor heard, being insensible to ex-
ternaI impressions through the senses
but were haunted by hideous visions
OF evil spirits whose names they
shrieked imploringly. Some asserted
that during the paroxysms they felt
themselves immersed in a sea of blood
which compelled them to leap so high
Others saw the heavens open and the
saints and the Virgin Mary appear.
When the obsessiOl was complete the
attacks began with epileptic convul-
slons, during which those affected fell
TO the ground senseless, ehamping the
Jaws. painting and labOring for breath.
Suddenly they would spring up and be-
gin dancing anew in a final frenzy
which too often ended in death.
speaking from a medical standpoint
1t is considered probable that the
dancing mania was closely allied 10
what has been more recently known as
St Nitus's dance or St. Johns dance.
IN fact, this was the name given in
several localities. Somethine akin 10
1t In Italy was called the Tarantula.
being supposedly caused by the bite
or venomous spider. From this is
derived our modern dance movement
called a tarantula
TomorrOw-The Sweating sickness.