21. A Chorus of Caterwauling Nuns
The conditions of communal stress and fear prevalent in medieval convents over extended periods are textbook causes for the outbreak of mass hysteria. So it is not surprising that nunneries frequently experienced eruptions of mass delusions. One of the more bizarre such incidents occurred in a French convent in the medieval era, when a nun started meowing like a cat. Cats in Europe back then were not viewed as positively as they are today. Instead of cute and cuddly pets, cats were often associated with Satan.
Soon, other nuns in the convent joined in and started meowing, and before long, the whole convent had gotten into the act. It eventually became chorus-like, with all the nuns joining in collective caterwauling for several hours each day. Understandably, the cacophony alarmed and upset the neighbors, particularly in light of cats’ association with the devil and demonic possession. Pleas to stop were not heeded, so soldiers were eventually called in and ordered to whip the meowing sisters into silence. That finally brought the mass hysteria outbreak to an end.
