TheimmediatesourceofthesemanifestationsseemstohavebeenthewildrevelsofSt。John’sDay。Inthoserevelssundryoldheathenceremonieshadbeenperpetuated，butunderanominallyChristianform：wildBacchanaliandanceshadthusbecomeasemi-religiousceremonial。Thereligiousandsocialatmospherewaspropitioustothedevelopmentofthegermsofdiabolicinfluencevitalizedintheseorgies，andtheywerescatteredfarandwidethroughlargetractsoftheNetherlandsandGermany，andespeciallythroughthewholeregionoftheRhine。AtColognewehearoffivehundredafflictedatonce；atMetzofelevenhundreddancersinthestreets；atStrasburgofyetmorepainfulmanifestations；andfromtheseandothercitiestheyspreadthroughthevillagesandruraldistricts。
Thegreatmajorityofthesuffererswerewomen，butthereweremanymen，andespeciallymenwhoseoccupationsweresedentary。
Remediesweretrieduponalargescale-exorcismsfirst，butespeciallypilgrimagestotheshrineofSt。Vitus。Theexorcismsaccomplishedsolittlethatpopularfaithinthemgrewsmall，andthemaineffectofthepilgrimagesseemedtobetoincreasethedisorderbysubjectinggreatcrowdstothediaboliccontagion。Yetanothercurativemeanswasseenintheflagellantprocessions——vastcrowdsofmen，women，andchildrenwhowanderedthroughthecountry，screaming，praying，beatingthemselveswithwhips，imploringtheDivinemercyandtheinterventionofSt。
Vitus。MostfearfulofallthemainattemptsatcurewerethepersecutionsoftheJews。AfeelinghadevidentlyspreadamongthepeopleatlargethattheAlmightywasfilledwithwrathatthetolerationofhisenemies，andmightbepropitiatedbytheirdestruction：intheprincipalcitiesandvillagesofGermany，then，theJewswereplundered，tortured，andmurderedbytensofthousands。Nodoubtthat，inallthis，greedwasunitedwithfanaticism；buttheargumentoffanaticismwassimpleandcogent；thedartwhichpiercedthebreastofIsraelatthattimewaswingedandpointedfromitsownsacredbooks：thebiblicalargumentwasthesameusedinvariousagestopromotepersecution；andthiswas，thatthewrathoftheAlmightywasstirredagainstthosewhotoleratedhisenemies，andthatbecauseofthistolerationthesamecursehadnowcomeuponEuropewhichtheprophetSamuelhaddenouncedagainstSaulforshowingmercytotheenemiesofJehovah。
Itisbutjusttosaythatvariouspopesandkingsexertedthemselvestocheckthesecruelties。AlthoughtheargumentofSamueltoSaulwasusedwithfrightfuleffecttwohundredyearslaterbyamostconscientiouspopeinspurringontherulersofFrancetoextirpatetheHuguenots，thepapacyinthefourteenthcenturystoodformercytotheJews。Buteventhisinterventionwaslongwithouteffect；thetideofpopularsuperstitionhadbecometoostrongtobecurbedevenbythespiritualandtemporalpowers。[386]