1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, Eve's here. Today's episode contains not just one, 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: but two nuggets of history. Consider it a double feature. 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: Enjoy the show. What's up? Everyone? Welcome to this Day 4 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: in History class, where we bring you a new tidbit 5 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: from history every day. The day was four in aakin, Germany, 6 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: people began writhing, screaming, and dancing uncontrollably. It was the 7 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: beginning of a major outbreak of a phenomenon called dancing mania. 8 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: Some of the earliest accounts of dancing Mania and Europe 9 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: date back to the seventh century. The affliction would move 10 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 1: like an epidemic, causing people to shout and dance wildly 11 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: until they reached a point of exhaustion. The Barefoot friar 12 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: Johann Paulos once told a story about an outbreak in 13 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: a village in Saxony in the twelfth century, but the 14 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 1: thirteen seventy four appearance of the phenomenon that began in 15 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: Germany was the first major outbreak of the dancing plague. 16 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: The phenomenon was also known as Koreomania, Saint John's Dance, 17 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: Saint Guy's Dance, and Saint Vitus's Dance, among other names. 18 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,559 Speaker 1: The outbreak of thirteen seventy four was first described in Aachen, 19 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: starting on June thirteen seventy four, but from there it 20 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: spread across Europe, particularly to other parts of Germany, the 21 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: Netherlands and Belgium. In his eighteen thirty two monograph, German 22 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: physician Eustace Friedrich Hecker wrote of the ailment, which he 23 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: called quote a strange delusion. He said the following it 24 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: was a convulsion which, in the most extraordinary manner infuriated 25 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: the human frame and excited the astonishment of contemporaries for 26 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: more than two centuries, since which time it has never reappeared. 27 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: It was called the dance of Saint John or of St. Bidas, 28 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: on account of the mechantic leaps by which it was characterized, 29 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: and which gave to those affected, whilst performing their wild 30 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: dance and screaming and foaming with fury all the appearance 31 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: of persons possessed. He described people dancing in circles, holding hands, 32 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: shrieking out spirits names, gasping for breath, and falling to 33 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,679 Speaker 1: the ground. They hit their heads against walls, walked into 34 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: rivers and danged for hours and quote wild delirium. Some 35 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: people reportedly danced themselves to death. By the sixteenth century, 36 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: dancing mania was thought of as an affliction sent by 37 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: a saint or a punishment from God. Some people called 38 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: on St. Vitus, hence the name St. Vitus's dance. Some 39 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: people thought it was possession and that the affected were 40 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: attempting to cure themselves through dancing. Still, others, like philosopher, physician, 41 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: and mystic pair of Celsius, believed that the phenomenon was psychogenic. 42 00:02:55,480 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: Paracelsus broke dancing mania down into three categories, Corea and lativa, Correa, 43 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 1: leshiva and Correa. Naturalists Korea imagined ativa meant it came 44 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: from the imagination, Korea Lashiba meant it came from sexual desires, 45 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 1: and Korea naturalists meant it was an organic medical disorder. 46 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: Magistrates and priests treated dancing mania through interventions like prayer, exorcisms, 47 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: and hiring dancing partners, though Paracelsus recognized the futility of 48 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: such treatments and said care should be up to physicians. 49 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: People have also attributed the phenomenon to social turbulence. The 50 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: Black Death, a pandemic that killed millions of people in 51 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: Europe and Asia, caused widespread devastation, despair, and fear. Some 52 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: authors suggested that dancing mania was a kind of stress 53 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: induced psychosis that developed in response to plague, starvation, and 54 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: other horrors and conflicts. Others said that the phenomenon stemmed 55 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: from food poisoning from rye affected by ergot, was a 56 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: showing of religious ecstasy, or was just elaborate trickery on 57 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: the part of impoverished people trying to get over on others. 58 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: Dancing mania is now considered a mass psychogenic illness, as 59 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: symptoms spread quickly but have no identifiable cause. In Strasbourg, France, 60 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: in fifteen eighteen, there was another outbreak of dancing mania. 61 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,839 Speaker 1: The town banned public gatherings and designated areas for people 62 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: to dance in and a variant of the phenomenon also 63 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: popped up in Italy in the fifteenth century and lasted 64 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: until the seventeenth. It was called tarantism as it was 65 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: linked to the bite of the tarantula. At the time. 66 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: People with tarrantism would dance to music until they fail, 67 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: attempting to cure their illness. Hysteria was often pegged as 68 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: the cause of tarantism, and women who were affected what 69 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: was once called St. Vitus's Dance, is now known as 70 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: Sydenham's Career, a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movement of 71 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: body parts and facial muscles, but the exact cause of 72 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: dancing mania is still a mystery. I'm Eves, Jeff Coo 73 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 74 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. You can follow us on Twitter, 75 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: Instagram and Facebook at t d I h C podcast. 76 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: If you haven't listened to a new show I host 77 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: called Unpopular, you can get it anywhere you listen to 78 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: this stand History Class. Thanks again and we'll see you tomorrow. Hey, y'all. 79 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: I'm Eves and welcome to the Standard History Class, a 80 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: podcast for people who can never know enough about history. 81 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: The day was the Siamese political party Canna Rat Sadan 82 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: or the People's Party, overthrew the government of King Rama 83 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: the Seventh, ending seven hundred years of absolute monarchy under 84 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: the Kings of Sayam. The bloodless coup resulted in the 85 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 1: introduction of democracy and the first constitution of Thailand. Since 86 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: seventeen eighty two, the Kingdom of Siam or modern day Thailand, 87 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: had been ruled by the Chakri dynasty, beginning with Rama 88 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 1: the First, who founded the capital city Bangkok. Throughout the 89 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: nineteenth century, much of Southeast Asia was colonized by the British, French, 90 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: and Dutch. Siam was never subjected to colonial rule, but 91 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: Rama the Five, who reigned from eighteen sixty eight to 92 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: nineteen ten, set out to modernize the kingdom. He introduced 93 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: social and governmental reforms that were based on Western models. 94 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: The old ruling families rejected his reforms, but from the 95 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: mid eighteen eighties to the early nineteen hundreds, Rama the 96 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: Fifth overhauled the administration, the established military conscription, abolished slavery, 97 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: and made other major changes in the country. The king 98 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: was committed to modernization, but he was also committed to 99 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: maintaining Thai traditions and independence. He instituted all these reforms 100 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: under the guise that they would save c M from 101 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: the threat of Western colonialism. If CM looked civilized to 102 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: colonial powers, then it would supposedly avoid Western invasion. Rama 103 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: the fifth son and successor Rama the sixth, also worked 104 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: on modern i CM and welcomed the adoption of some 105 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: European ideals. His reforms upset members of the aristocracy and nobility, 106 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: as well as groups of progressives and radicals. In nineteen twelve, 107 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: a group of military officers conspired to overthrow the king, 108 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: but the plot failed. There's debate over the main causes 109 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: of the nineteen thirty two revolution. What the rise of 110 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: Western educated commoner elites who would become dissatisfied with politics 111 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: and CM played a significant role in the event. Rama 112 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: the Seventh ascended the throne in n He created the 113 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: Supreme Council of State, made up of senior princes who 114 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: had served in previous administrations. They quickly let go of 115 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: commoners who had been appointed in the civil service in military. 116 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: During Rama the Seventh rule, returning Western educated students grew 117 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: disillusioned with the status quo. In n seven, a small 118 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: group of military and civilian students gathered in Paris with 119 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: the intent of founding a party to bring change to 120 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: c M. This group of seven people called themselves the Promoters, 121 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,839 Speaker 1: and they decided to stage a coup to end absolute 122 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 1: monarchy in the country. To achieve this goal, they formed 123 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: the Canna Rat Sadan or People's Party. The Promoters worked 124 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: on gathering supporters. Meanwhile, CM was facing economic problems. The 125 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: Great depression made it to the country. By nineteen thirty 126 00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 1: the value of rice, CM's major export felled drastically. Land 127 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: values also fell, so the government had to make a 128 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:07,319 Speaker 1: bunch of budget cuts. By nineteen thirty two, the People's 129 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: Party was made up of more than one hundred students, 130 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: military officers, and non royal government officials. On the morning 131 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: of June nine, thirty two, while the King was away 132 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,599 Speaker 1: from Bangkok, the People's Party led the coup. The promoters 133 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 1: seized control of the army as well as post and 134 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,959 Speaker 1: telegraph offices, and they arrested royal officials who were part 135 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: of the ruling group. Armored vehicles and troops gathered at 136 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: the Throne Hall in the Royal Plaza, and one of 137 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,679 Speaker 1: the promoters read the Knar Ra Saddan manifesto declaring the 138 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 1: end of absolute monarchy and the establishment of a constitutional state. 139 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 1: Rama the seventh was playing golf in the South of 140 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: sam when he got news of the coup. He agreed 141 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: to the demands for a new constitutional system, and by 142 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: December of that year he had promulgated a new constitution. 143 00:09:56,360 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: A State Council and National Assembly were established, but conflict 144 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: between the Kadnar rat Sadan and the king continued. A 145 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: couple of years after the revolution, Rama the Seventh left 146 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 1: for England and in he abdicated the throne, spending the 147 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: rest of his life in England. Though the coup was 148 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: a major turning point in Thai history, the next few 149 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: decades were still characterized by political unrest and rule by 150 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: military governments. I'm Eve Jeff Coo and hopefully you know 151 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 152 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: And if you have any commerce oar suggestions, feel free 153 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: to send them our way. We're at this day at 154 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: i heeart media dot com. If you want to send 155 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: us an email, you can also hit us up on 156 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: social media. We're at t D I h C podcast. 157 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening to the show and we'll 158 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:55,559 Speaker 1: see you tomorrow. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, 159 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 160 00:10:58,320 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.