The Electric Girl of 1846 Who Baffled Scientists

In January 1846, something strange began happening around a teenage girl in the small French village of La Perrière. Angélique Cottin, a 14-year-old peasant working at a silk loom, suddenly found that objects seemed to flee from her presence.

Her family watched in disbelief as heavy oak furniture slid across the floor when she approached. Chairs tipped over. A massive dining table reportedly moved on its own.

The Phenomenon Spreads

Word traveled fast. Within weeks, Angélique was examined by local physicians, priests, and eventually members of the French Academy of Sciences. The accounts they recorded were remarkable:

• Compass needles spun erratically when she was nearby
• People reported feeling "electric shocks" upon touching her
• Furniture weighing over 60 pounds allegedly moved without contact
• The effects seemed strongest from her left side, particularly her hip and elbow

The phenomena reportedly occurred in unpredictable bursts, sometimes lasting seconds, sometimes hours. Angélique herself seemed distressed by the events, often crying when the episodes began.

Scientists Take Notice

The case attracted serious scientific attention. François Arago, the renowned physicist and director of the Paris Observatory, investigated personally. He was genuinely puzzled. In an era fascinated by electricity and magnetism—still mysterious forces at the time—Angélique became known as "The Electric Girl."

Arago presented his findings to the Academy of Sciences, carefully avoiding conclusions but noting that the phenomena appeared genuine under observation. Other scientists were more skeptical, suggesting unconscious muscle movements or outright fraud.

The Academy ultimately refused to issue a formal opinion, a diplomatic way of saying they had no idea what was happening.

A Brief and Mysterious Fame

Angélique's "powers" lasted only about ten weeks. By March 1846, the phenomena had faded completely, and she returned to obscurity. She never sought to profit from her fame—unlike many who claimed supernatural abilities in that era.

What actually happened? Modern explanations range from mass hysteria and suggestion to clever (perhaps unconscious) manipulation. Some researchers point to similar cases throughout history where teenage girls, often under stress, became centers of unexplained physical phenomena.

The psychological literature includes dozens of comparable cases, many associated with the onset of puberty and significant emotional pressure.

The Legacy

Angélique Cottin remains one of the best-documented cases of alleged "human electricity" in history. Her story was reported in major newspapers across Europe and America, studied by legitimate scientists, and never definitively explained.

Whether she was a genuine anomaly, an unwitting fraud, or the victim of collective delusion, her case offers a fascinating window into how 19th-century science grappled with phenomena it couldn't explain—and how eager the public has always been to believe in the extraordinary.