European Dancing Plague (1374)

In 1374, Aachen, Germany, witnessed a famous mass dancing event, followed by similar outbreaks across Europe. In southern Italy, tarantism emerged, attributing symptoms to tarantula bites and advocating dancing to specific music, giving rise to the tarantella dance. Some modern interpretations suggest that the phenomenon could be linked to unfamiliar religious sect practices, with reported symptoms such as fainting and visions.