It began with a single woman on a sweltering July day in 1518. Frau Troffea stepped into the narrow streets of Strasbourg and started to dance. Her movements were wild and uncontrollable, her face twisted in what appeared to be agony. For six days straight, she danced without rest, her feet bloodied from the relentless movement.
The narrow medieval streets of Strasbourg where the dancing plague began. Credit: Alamy
Within a week, 34 others joined her manic dance, moving through the medieval streets in an unstoppable frenzy. By August, the number had swollen to 400 people, many dancing until they collapsed from exhaustion.
Local authorities, baffled by this strange occurrence, made a decision that would prove fatal. They believed the afflicted must dance out their fever, setting up wooden stages and hiring musicians to play. Professional dancers were even brought in to support the victims. This response only worsened the situation, encouraging more people to join the deadly dance.
The historic streets of Strasbourg where hundreds danced themselves to death. Credit: Experi
The dancers moved in a trance-like state, some reportedly dancing for days without stopping. Many succumbed to heart attacks, strokes, and sheer exhaustion. The streets of Strasbourg echoed with the sounds of music and the thudding of feet, while the air filled with the moans of the dying dancers.
Modern historians and medical experts have proposed various theories to explain this mass dancing phenomenon. Some point to severe stress and psychological trauma caused by the period’s numerous afflictions. The region had suffered from famine, disease, and extreme poverty, creating perfect conditions for mass hysteria.
Another compelling theory involves ergot poisoning, caused by a fungus that grows on rye grain. This fungus produces chemicals similar to LSD, potentially explaining the trance-like state of the dancers. However, this alone cannot account for the social spread of the dancing fever.
The Dancing Plague remains one of the best-documented cases of mass hysteria in medieval Europe. Town physicians and chroniclers recorded detailed accounts of the events, providing historians with valuable insights into this peculiar phenomenon. Their writings reveal a community gripped by fear and confusion, struggling to understand why their neighbors could not stop dancing.
This extraordinary event serves as a stark reminder of how social and psychological pressures can manifest in unexpected ways. The dancing plague claimed dozens of lives through exhaustion and heart failure, marking it as one of history’s deadliest outbreaks of mass hysteria. Even today, scientists and historians continue to study this remarkable incident, seeking to understand how a dance could become a death sentence.
References:
Visit Alsace — Delight in Discovering the Medieval Town of Strasbourg – link
Strasbourg, France – Medieval Charm with Wonderful Architecture – link
Strasbourg narrow streets of the old city – link
Categories: Do you know, Historical Mysteries, Mass Hysteria, Medieval History, Unexplained Phenomena
Tags: Dancing Plague, epidemics, Historical Mysteries, Mass Hysteria, Medieval History, Strasbourg, unexplained phenomena
Religion: Christianity
Country of Origin: France
Topic: Historical Mystery
Ethnicity: European
