Antidotum tarantulae

The print documents the 17th-century phenomenon of tarantism, a supposed dancing plague triggered by spider bites that was believed to be cured by specific musical melodies. The top section presents a map of southern Italy where the spiders were prevalent alongside the musical notation used in the healing ritual, while the bottom section displays the ventral and dorsal sides of the spider with anatomical labels. It exemplifies the early modern attempt to categorize natural phenomena and their occult remedies through both empirical observation and musical theory.

Created by the Jesuit polymath Athanasius Kircher, this work bridges natural philosophy and the Western esoteric tradition of 'sympathetic magic,' suggesting that sound could interact with the body's humors to expel poison. It reflects Kircher's broader project of 'universal harmony,' where all parts of the cosmos—from insects to music—are interconnected by magnetic and harmonic resonances.