Tarantism, originally referring to a dancing mania believed to be caused by the bite of a tarantula, has synonyms such as lycanthropy, choreomania, and ergotism. Lycanthropy is a condition where a person believes they can transform into a wolf or other animal, often resulting in uncontrollable behaviors. Choreomania is another dancing mania that occurred in Europe during the Middle Ages. Ergotism refers to the symptoms caused by consuming cereals contaminated with the fungus ergot, which can cause hallucinations and movement disorders. These words demonstrate how humans have attempted to explain and categorize various conditions and behaviors throughout history, even if understanding of the causes was limited.