In the 15th century in a nunnery in Germany
a nun began biting other nuns.

Soon all the nuns in the nunnery began
biting each other.

This biting outbreak spread to other
nunneries as well,

reaching as far as nunneries in Italy
and Holland.

Some thought the biting epidemic was
caused by demons or the devil.

Priests said prayers and performed exorcisms
as possible cures,

but these measures proved ineffective; the
nuns kept biting each other

The biting contagion stopped when authorities
threatened to flog the biting nuns.

It has been determined the nuns suffered
mass hysteria,

and no demons or a devil caused the
psychogenic affliction.

Bob Boyd