Tarantism
/ˈtær.ən.tɪz.əm/noun
A historical condition involving compulsive dancing, believed in southern Italy to result from the bite of a tarantula or related spider.
Did you know?From the Middle Ages into the early modern period, sufferers were treated with rapid music and dancing in the belief that performance could purge the spider’s venom, although modern medicine finds no evidence for this mechanism.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Taras
“The Greek name for the city later called Tarentum, now Taranto; the city-name’s deeper origin is uncertain.”
Ancient Rome
Latin
Tarentum
“The Roman name for Taranto, the southern Italian city associated with the later spider-bite tradition.”
Middle Ages
Italian dialects
taranta
“A regional name for a tarantula or similar spider, especially in Apulia; its precise relationship to Taranto is debated.”
17th Century
Italian
tarantismo
“The supposed illness or dancing disorder caused by a spider bite.”
17th Century
English
tarantism
“An English borrowing for the compulsive dancing syndrome associated with the tarantula.”
Explore more surprising origins