Picture this – a woman starts dancing in the streets of Strasbourg in July 1518. Within days, hundreds of people join her in an unstoppable dance marathon that lasted for weeks. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Australian soldiers wage war against large flightless birds. These aren’t fictional tales but rather two of history’s most peculiar events.
The summer of 1518 brought an unprecedented phenomenon to the streets of Strasbourg. It began with Frau Troffea, who stepped into the street and started dancing feverishly. Her solo performance soon turned into a mass spectacle as dozens of others joined the unwilling dance party. Within a week, the number of dancers swelled to over 400 people.
The Dancing Plague of 1518 as depicted in historical artwork – Image source: Wikipedia
The dancing continued day and night, with participants unable to stop even as exhaustion set in. Local authorities, baffled by this bizarre occurrence, initially tried to cure the dancers by having musicians play along. They believed the afflicted would eventually dance out their frenzy. This decision backfired spectacularly when more people joined the dancing crowd.
Medical records from the time reveal that many dancers collapsed from exhaustion, while some reportedly died from heart attacks and strokes. Modern scientists suggest various theories for this mass hysteria, ranging from food poisoning caused by fungus-infected grain to extreme psychological stress due to the harsh living conditions of medieval Europe.
Fast forward to 1932, when Australia faced an equally peculiar crisis. The Great Emu War, as it became known, started when thousands of emus invaded Western Australian farmlands. These massive birds, standing up to six feet tall, were destroying crops and leaving holes in rabbit-proof fences.
A fallen emu during the Great Emu War – Image source: Wikipedia
The Australian government responded to farmers’ distress calls by deploying military forces armed with Lewis guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. Major G.P.W. Meredith led the operation, confident that his small force could efficiently handle the emu problem. However, the birds proved to be surprisingly resilient and tactical opponents.
The emus displayed an uncanny ability to scatter into small groups when attacked, making them difficult targets. Even when hit by bullets, the birds often continued running due to their thick feathers and robust constitution. After several failed attempts to curb the emu population, the military withdrew. One soldier noted that the only thing they had learned was that one machine gun is not enough to handle large mobs of emus.
These two historical events, while drastically different in nature, share common threads of human vulnerability against unexpected forces. The Dancing Plague showcases how mass hysteria can grip an entire community, while the Great Emu War demonstrates nature’s ability to humble even well-equipped military forces.
Today, both events serve as reminders that history isn’t just about wars, kings, and conquests. Sometimes it’s about unstoppable dancers and undefeatable birds. These peculiar chapters in our past continue to fascinate historians and casual readers alike, proving that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.
References:
Dancing plague of 1518 – Wikipedia – link
Emu War – Wikipedia – link
Emu War | History, Summary, & Facts | Britannica – link
Categories: Cultural Phenomena, Do you know, Historical Events, Military History, Weird History
Tags: Dancing Plague, Emu War, Historical Events, Mass Hysteria, Military History, strange history, Strasbourg, Western Australia
Religion: Various
Country of Origin: Australia, France, World
Topic: Historical Events
Ethnicity: Various
