The Dancing Plague of 1518: When People Dropped Dead Dancing... Literally!

The Dancing Plague of 1518 was a mass psychogenic disorder in Strasbourg, France, where hundreds danced uncontrollably for months.

The world has just recovered from a pandemic that claimed crores of lives across the globe. This was the first time that our generation saw a pandemic and found it bizarre that a deadly disease can spread so easily and quickly; that a simple sneeze can have fatal consequences. However, flipping through the pages of history will tell us this was nowhere close to the "bizarre" Dancing Plague.

What Was The Dancing Plague Of 1518?

The Dancing Plague of 1518 is one of the most perplexing events in medical history. It occurred in Strasbourg, Alsace (now part of modern-day France) during the summer months. This phenomenon, characterised by uncontrollable dancing that affected hundreds of individuals, raised questions about the psychological and social dynamics of communities under extreme stress.

The outbreak seemingly began in July 1518 when a woman named Frau Troffea stepped into the street and began dancing fervently without any apparent reason. She apparently danced for days on end, only pausing to rest briefly before resuming her movements. Within a week, her behaviour "inspired" over thirty others to join her, and by August, estimates suggest that around 400 people were caught up in this frenzied dancing.

The mania persisted for approximately two months, leading to severe exhaustion among the participants; some reportedly collapsed from strokes or heart attacks due to extreme physical exertion.

Other Dancing Plagues

While the Dancing Plague of 1518 was the most prominent recorded case of such affliction, there have been similar incidents throughout history. According to the British Psychological Society, the first case of 'Dancing Plague' was recorded in 1374 in France.

In 1491, just a few years before the Strasbourg dancing epidemic, a similar outbreak occurred at a nunnery in the Spanish Netherlands. The BPS says that several nuns were 'possessed' by an intense urge to run around, jump on and off trees and behave like dogs or claw at trees like cats.

Theories Behind 'Dancing Plague'

Numerous theories have been proposed to explain this unusual epidemic.

Mass Hysteria: The most widely accepted explanation today is that the dancing plague was a form of mass psychogenic disorder, as suggested by medical historian John Waller. He argued that the residents of Strasbourg were under immense stress due to factors such as famine, disease outbreaks (including smallpox and syphilis), and social unrest. These stressors could have triggered a collective psychological response, manifesting as uncontrollable dancing.

Religious Interpretations: At the time, many believed that the plague was a punishment from Saint Vitus, the patron saint of dancers and epileptics. Some accounts suggest that those who failed to appease him would be cursed with compulsive dancing. This belief led civic leaders to organize public dances as a supposed remedy.

Ergot Poisoning: Another theory posits that the dancers may have consumed bread made from rye infected with ergot, a fungus known to cause hallucinations and convulsions. While this could explain some symptoms, experts argue that ergot's effects would typically wear off within a day, making it unlikely to sustain such prolonged behaviour.

Sydenham Chorea: In later years, some researchers connected the episode to Sydenham chorea, an autoimmune disorder characterized by rapid, unintentional movements. However, this condition typically affects individuals over longer periods rather than causing mass outbreaks.

Response To The Dancing Plague

As the number of afflicted individuals grew, local authorities struggled to contain the situation. Initially believing that more dancing might cure the condition, they hired musicians and set up guild halls for public gatherings. This approach only exacerbated the problem as more people joined in, leading to chaotic scenes across Strasbourg. Eventually, realizing their mistake, officials banned music and public dancing altogether in an effort to quell the epidemic.

Many participants were sent to a shrine dedicated to Saint Vitus in hopes of seeking divine intervention for their affliction. By early September, reports indicated that fewer people were joining in on the dancing frenzy. As mysteriously as it began, the dancing plague began to subside.