STRANGE ODD & UNUSUAL: The Dancing Plague
The Dancing Plague of 1518: This strange occurrence happened in Strasbourg, where a woman began to dance fervently in the streets for nearly a week. Gradually, more people joined her—almost 400 in total—and they danced for days without rest, leading to several deaths.
The dancing plague, also known as the dancing mania, was a phenomenon that occurred in Europe during the Medieval and Early Modern periods. It was characterized by groups of people dancing uncontrollably and sometimes for days on end, often leading to exhaustion, injury, and even death.
One of the most well-documented cases of the dancing plague occurred in the city of Strasbourg, Alsace (modern-day France), in July 1518. It began with a single woman, Frau Troffea, who started dancing in the streets and was soon joined by others. Within a month, the dancing had spread to around 400 people, many of whom danced until they collapsed from exhaustion.
The dancing mania was not confined to Strasbourg and occurred in various other places in Europe over several centuries. Accounts describe large groups of people dancing in a frenzied and trance-like state, often accompanied by music or drums. The dancers exhibited symptoms of hallucinations, convulsions, and altered states of consciousness.
Historians and researchers have proposed various theories to explain the dancing plague, including mass hysteria, religious fervor, and ergot poisoning. Ergot is a fungus that grows on grains such as rye and can cause hallucinations and convulsions when ingested. Some have suggested that the dancing mania was a form of mass psychogenic illness, where psychological distress or social factors triggered collective behavior.
The dancing plague remains a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon in history, with no definitive explanation for its occurrence. It serves as a reminder of the complexities of human behavior and the power of mass psychology to influence and shape societies.
