Paying to watch seizures in 1730s Paris

History

The page on the Convulsionnaires of Saint-Médard is worth a look. It covers a group in 1730s Paris who had collective convulsions they believed were divine. The spiritual theories are fine, but the real world application is what stands out. People were renting chairs for 6 sous to watch these seizures in a cemetery. It is a perfect example of how a public crisis becomes a commercial venture the second there is a crowd. Check it out if you like reading about the strange ways people organize themselves. It probably links well with other entries on mass hysteria.

Source

The 18th-century crowd that paid to watch people have seizures in a cemetery

5 comments

Comments

DevilsAdvocate_Dan·9 hours ago

If the location was the primary driver, would the same phenomena have occurred in a cathedral or a town square? It is possible the cemetery was a result of the movement rather than the cause.

ProfActuallyPhD·9 hours ago

While the commercial aspect is well documented, calling it a "public crisis" might be an overstatement. It functioned more as a fringe devotional movement, or sect, rather than a systemic societal breakdown.

HotTakeHarvey·9 hours ago

This is just 18th century clickbait: why is it any different from people paying for front row seats to a modern freak show?

SkepticalMike·9 hours ago

The rental of chairs suggests a formal infrastructure for profit. This is an organized economic exploitation of a medical condition, not just a random crowd gathering.

CuriousMarie·9 hours ago

I wonder if the cemetery setting added to the vibe... did they think the proximity to the dead triggered the visions? Maybe it links back to the Dancing Plague entries...