Unresolved: The Dancing Plague Of 1518

Back in July of 1518, close to 400 people in Strasbourg, Alsace (now France) were affected by what they called the dancing plague or dancing epidemic. This case of dancing mania caused these hundreds of people to dance for days.

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It started when one woman named Frau Troffea got the urge to bust-a-move in the middle of the road. Her solo dance-a-thon lasted a nearly a week before many other residents of Strasbourg joined her. By August, nearly 400 people were uncontrollably dancing in the street. The rest of the town decided to build a stage, brought in professional dancers and even hired a band. It wasn't long before these poor people started collapsing and giving themselves strokes or heart attacks. Physicians blamed this strange phenomenon on hot blood and thought it was best that these folks just dance the fever away. Always trust the experts, guys.

Whatever was happening to these people lasted until September. The dancers were brought up to a mountaintop shrine so they could pray for forgiveness.

Why and did this truly happen? According to historic documents, it very well did and isn't the only incident of its kind. Similar frenzies also happened in Germany, Holland and Switzerland. Now, why? A historian by the name of John Waller has a a theory that has to do with.. curses? He thought that the plague was caused by God-fearing Europeans who truly believed that St. Vitus, the Catholic saint had the power to curse people with this dancing plague. This day and age was a time of disease and famine and Waller believed that this superstition caused stress-induced hysteria in the people of Strasbourg.

Another theory suggests they were apart of a religious cult. But, I personally do not think so.

My explanation, as well as others believe the plague was caused by ergot. Ergot is a toxic mold that grows on damp rye that causes people to hallucinate and spasm. This was very common thing at this time and the reason behind so many other events in history. How many people were put to death because.. witches?

What do you think happened to the people of Strasbourg?

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