The Tarantella

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The name tarantella comes from "tarantola" (tarantula).

Actually the "tarantolato" is who's been bitten by a tarantula.

This dance has been kept in Italy and in Spain

and its Northern European correlative is S.Vito's dance. the instruments

thought to be right for dissimulating the tarantolato's pain are both

guitars a nd violin (his one because its sharp and keen sound) and, also,

tambourine, bagpipe and flute. J. Sarratc and A. Kircher (VII-XVIII century)

observed that the music made by these instruments induces identical

reactions in all people poisoned. As Kircher says, "this poison induces

in people the same effect caused in the insect itself: as well the poison stimulated by

music compells people to jump because of a continuous stress of muscles as it

happens to tarantulas itselves". J. Sarratc reports of a tarantula closed into a box that,

as it listened to that particular music, started jumping. People subjected to that musical

therapy experienced a kind of trance and they believed to be kings, soldiers or

shepherds and felt a kind of hydrophobia or aversion to clean water.

While they were dancing, they asked for same swords they simulated a fight with.

These are characteristic elements of dance of swords too.