73. Special Holiday Edition: The Cursed Carolers, Saxony 10th Century

True Crime Medieval

English - December 20, 2022 19:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MB
True Crime History crime history humor medieval Homepage Download Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Previous Episode: 72. The Jews of York are Massacred, York, England 1190

Next Episode: 74. Dafydd Gam ap Llewelyn ap Hywel kills his kinsman Richard Fawr ap Dafydd, Brecon High Street, Wales late 14th Century

Once upon a time, a group of parishioners in a village in Saxony danced in the churchyard during Christmas Mass, and so the priest cursed them and then they danced without ceasing for a year. This story was told, with variations, throughout Europe, from the 10th century (at least) through the 16th century. And! It really happened! Ok, not the dancing without ceasing for a year part, but the dancing without being able to stop? That really happened. From the 14th through the 17th century, groups of people throughout Europe would start dancing maniacally, and be unable to stop. Sometimes they did this till they died. And we still don't know why this occurred, though it is recognized as a Thing That Really Happened. We discuss dancing mania, the cursed carolers legends, and try to make sense of it all.
Happy Holidays!