You’ve heard of people being afraid of the dark or completely losing it when they come across a spider, but what about harboring a fear of metal or taking a dislike of insects too far? In this article, you will encounter strange phobias and the celebrities who have fallen victim to their fears.
Metallophobia
The man known for writing Symphony No. 3, German composer Robert Schumann, had a fear of metal, especially when it came to using keys.
Musophobia
Isn’t it ironic that Walt Disney was known to have a fear of mice, yet it was Mickey Mouse, who would become one of the most well known and profitable characters of the Disney collection of cartoons?
Hydrophobia
Frederick the Great and Natalie Wood are famous sufferers of hydrophobia , the fear of water. Frederick exhibited the most extreme response to his phobia, as he was so terrified by water that he refused to wash himself in a tub, but instead, had servants rub down his body with dry towels. It’s surprising and unfortunate that actress Natalie Wood ventured onto a yacht in 1981, as she fell off of the boat and drowned. Despite being part of the cast of ‘Baywatch,’ Carmen Electra once told reporters that she is scared of water because she can’t swim. She admitted that being close to the water actually gives her a panic attack.
Ailurophobia
If you thought the sight of black cats drove people crazy because of the superstition tied to the animal was silly, then what do you think about people who are deathly afraid of all cats. Ailurophobia is the fear of cats and it was a phobia of Augustus Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, King Henry III of France, Benito Mussolini, and Adolf Hitler.
The fear involves an abnormal and persistent fear of felines, which creates a heightened level of anxiety even though ailurophobes are aware their fear is irrational. They not only fear being scratched or bitten by a cat, but may also even view cats as ‘evil’ , giving into the reputation they have during Halloween.
Ovophobia
Alfred Hitchcock never ate scrambled or sunny side-up eggs for breakfast because he suffered from ovophobia , a fear of eggs. Regarding his fear of eggs, the infamous director Hitchcock is quoted as saying: “I’m frightened of eggs, worse than frightened, they revolt me. That white round thing without any holes ”¦ have you ever seen anything more revolting than an egg yolk breaking and spilling its yellow liquid? Blood is jolly, red. But egg yolk is yellow, revolting. I’ve never tasted it.”
Hematophobia
The sight of blood makes many squeamish, but some people suffer from hematophobia , the fear of blood. Interestingly, Maximillian Robespierre was a French revolutionary that constantly used a guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris. However, Robespierre couldn’t take seeing blood and wasn’t able to even inspect the bloodstains that covered the street cobblestones.