"If a tarantula bites you, dance!"
--Folk wisdom
Tarantism is a disease or form of hysteria that appeared in Italy in the 15th to 17th century.
It was associated with the bite of the tarantula spider: victims seemly were cured by frenzied dancing. Sometimes for two days.
But wait ...
The tarantulas dance too!
A tarantula's happy dance occurs after the spider catches its prey. It seems the spider is proud of itself.
Both give birth to the dance word, tarantella.
Demonstrated here by Captain Hook (at :35)
Clip: Cyril Ritchard, Peter Pan (1955)
No comments:
Post a Comment