tarantula [M16th] The Italian seaport of Taranto gave its name to the tarantula, a large black spider found in southern Europe. Its bite was formerly thought to cause tarantism [M17th], a psychosomatic illness marked by an extreme impulse to dance, which affected many people in Italy from the 15th to the 17th century. The rapid whirling tarantella [L18th] dance gets its name from the same source, as it was believed to be a cure for tarantism, with people dancing the tarantella until exhausted.