Mysterious Book That ‘Killed’ – Are Written Or Spoken Words Powerful Enough To Take Control Over Our Actions?

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - A few centuries ago, Europe experienced a strange suicide wave. A large number of young men were found dead without any apparent reason.

It was soon established that the men had nothing in common. However, they were all wearing the same clothes, and everyone committed suicide by shooting themselves.

A closer investigation revealed a shocking discovery – all men had read a specific best-selling book. The book is still popular today.

Can written words affect people so much that thousands decide to commit suicide?

What happened?

In 1774, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832), one of the greatest German writers, published his roman “The Sufferings of Young Werther.” It only took him four weeks to complete the work, but the repercussions of his book were long-lasting and catastrophic.

Goethe’s influence spread quickly across Europe, and for the next century, his works were a significant source of inspiration in music, drama, poetry, and philosophy. Unfortunately, one of his works was also associated with many deaths.

His book “The Sufferings of Young Werther” was about Werther, a young, middle-class artist who fell in love with a woman he could not have. Lotte, who Werther loved deeply, was already engaged to another man. Although Lotte loved Werther, she remained faithful to Albert, her fiancé. Werther cannot control his emotions and accept the situation. Since he cannot be together with Lotte, he decides to commit suicide and shoot himself in the head.

Goethe’s book quickly became a best-seller. Werther’s strong feelings captured many hearts. European youth appreciated the sad story as it reflected so much of what many young people felt. Even Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), the famous French military leader, always carried a copy of the book whenever he went to war.

Unfortunately, Goethe had not anticipated that so many young men would follow in Werther’s footsteps. Suddenly, several suicide reports came in from different European countries. Young men dressed in a blue coat and yellow pants, the same clothes Werther wore, were found dead on the streets, at home, and elsewhere. All had committed suicide with a pistol shot to the head. They all had read Goethe’s book – The Sufferings of Young Werther.

Goethe’s book’s influence on young people became a major social problem. The Church was far from enthusiastic and condemned the book. Leaders of the Church did not appreciate that suicide, considered one of the greatest sins of Christianity, was presented as a solution to the common problem we all face.
Fearing a possible mass suicide wave, several European countries like Norway, Austria, Denmark, and some states in Germany banned the book.

Even Goethe had to admit something had gone wrong. When the second edition was printed, Goethe was forced to include a warning to all readers. On the cover, he wrote – “Be a man, do not follow in my footsteps.”

It took a couple of years before the end of the Werther fever. In time, the number of suicides decreased. Norway was the last European country to remove the ban on Goethe’s book as late as 1820.

Today, Goethe’s book is considered one of the most famous literary works.
Historians estimate that about 2,000 people committed suicide after reading “The Sufferings of Young Werther,” but the exact number of suicides is unknown.

Caspar David Friedrich - Wanderer above the sea of fog. Credit: Public Domain

What is worth contemplating is whether our society has changed. Are we stronger individuals today?

Do we have better control of our feelings? Is it possible we could face a similar situation in modern times or has our society different views and values?

Naturally, the book didn’t ‘kill’ all these people, but its content reminded these individuals of their current, sad situation.

Most of us have experienced an unhappy love relationship, but few consider it a reason worth dying for. On the other hand, over the years, we have heard of dangerous cults like Heaven’s Gate, whose leader convinced 38 of his members to commit suicide. It was an action he claimed would allow their souls to board a spaceship that they believed was hiding behind the comet.

Some years ago, certain doomsday prophets sparked fear among the public when they announced the world was ending.

Several people were prepared to commit suicide immediately. Is the power of written or spoken words still so strong it can control our actions?

Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

Copyright © AncientPages.com  All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com