Friday, December 27, 2024
History's most catastrophic costume party, hosted by a mad king who thought he was made of glass
Boing Boing: In 1393, a French king who believed he was made of glass hosted a masquerade ball that ended in flames. The Bal des Ardents (Ball of the Burning Men) became one of history's most notorious party disasters, made even more bizarre by the host's deteriorating mental state.
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I am constantly astonished by the amount of things that could have been prevented in the past with just some modern technology. In this specific case, doctors could have diagnosed the king and treated him with medicine or therapy while the fire could have been prevented with better safety regulations and tools like easier access to water or fire extinguishers. But the story, aside from being almost satirical in how crazy it sounds in today's world, reminds me of the quote that theater is not safe, but there are safe ways to do theater. We cannot wholly prevent every possible threat, but we can significantly minimize them with critical thinking and modern tech. If this costumed dance was performed today, I highly doubt that anyone would die or even be seriously injured due to technological advancements, and I’m really glad that I live in a world where tragedies like this one are not commonplace.
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