The Dancing plague of 1518
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The Dancing plague of 1518 was a mystifying event in which hundreds of people in Strasbourg, a Roman city now in France, went on to dance unwillingly and uncontrollably for days on end. This dancing mania lasted for about two months before it ended as mysteriously as it had started.
How Did the Dancing Plague Start
The Strasbourg dancing plague started in July 1518, when a woman named Frau (Mrs.) Troffea (or Trauffea) stepped out into the street and all of a sudden started dancing. It seemed that she was apparently dancing unwillingly and was unable to stop. She went on dancing until she collapsed from exhaustion. She then took a rest for a while but after resting, continued her compulsive and frenzied dance again. She continued dancing for days and soon this dancing mania took over the whole town. At first, a few young women joined the woman but within a week more than 30 people caught the same affliction. They kept dancing even after they were tired and became injured from the continuous dancing.
People alerted the city authorities about the mania that was slowly taking over the city. The number of dancers was on the increase and all seemed to be dancing without pause. When the civic and religious leaders realized that there was no way of stopping these dancers, they theorized that the solution to the problem was in letting the people afflicted dance even more. Guildhalls were arranged for the dancers to gather in and dance it out to music provided by musicians. Professional dancers were also called in to help the afflicted citizens to continue dancing.
Instead of curbing the dancing epidemic, this arrangement worsened the contagion. More than 400 people were soon consumed by the dancing compulsion. A large number of these dancers succumbed to exhaustion and injuries caused by excessive dancing. This mania started to go down by early September.
The dancing epidemic of 1518 was the last recorded outbreak of such an unexplained affliction in Europe that occurred between the 10th and 16th centuries and affected such a large number of people at the same time. Records of the occurrence of the plague can be found in historical documents that include cathedral sermons, physician notes, regional and local chronicles, and Strasbourg city council notes. All the documents clearly mention that the victims were dancing but do not provide a clear reason behind the outbreak. It is believed that a similar epidemic had taken place in 1374 and had spread to many towns along the Rhine River.
Dancing Plague Facts and Theories
Several explanations were given for the Strasbourg Dancing Plague; from demonic possessions to overheating of the blood. The 20th-century theorists suggested that the people affected by the plague ate rye flour bread contaminated with the fungal disease ergot. This disease causes convulsions which may have been a reason for the unexplained behavior of people. According to American sociologist Robert Bartholomew, the dancers belonged to heretical sects and were dancing to seek divine favor from a deity.
The theory that has been most widely accepted and which in some way gives a plausible explanation for the plague has been posited by American medical historian John Waller. He wrote several journal articles on the plague, and the book A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518. In several of his published papers, Waller reasoned that the Dancing Plague was a kind of mass psychogenic disorder. Extreme stress can sometimes cause such outbreaks that spread when fueled by local fear. To explain the Dancing Plague of 1518, Waller gave examples of a series of famines and diseases such as syphilis and smallpox that had affected the people of Strasbourg at the time of the plague. The spread of these diseases had acted as a triggering factor and overwhelming stressor. Waller also stated in his papers that at the time of the dancing epidemic there was a local belief that people who failed to appease St. Vitus, saint of dancers and epileptics would face the wrath and be cursed to dance uncontrollably.
Other Instances of the Dancing Plague
Similar events are said to have occurred throughout the medieval age. In the 11th century when a similar event took place in Kölbigk Saxony, it was believed to have been caused by demonic possession or divine judgment. In the 15th century, a woman in Apulia Italy was bitten by a tarantula, and its venom had made her dance convulsively. It was said that the only cure to a tarantula bite was to shimmy away or dance to the right kind of music. Even scholars like Athanasius Kircher had given their nod to this remedy.
Controversies Related to the Plague
There are several controversies attached to this intriguing plague. According to some sources, the plague killed around fifteen people per day, but the city sources do not mention the number of deaths or the fact that there were deaths because of the plague. It is also uncertain about who was the first person to start dancing and the number of dancers involved. Out of the six chronicle accounts about the dancing epidemic, four mention the name of the first dancer as Lady Troffea.
FAQs on Dancing Plague
1. Was the Dancing Plague of 1518 a real historical event?
Yes, the Dancing Plague of 1518 was a real event that took place in Strasbourg, Alsace (now in modern-day France). Historical records from the city, including notes from physicians and local chronicles, confirm that hundreds of people began dancing uncontrollably for weeks, making it a well-documented phenomenon.
2. What are the main theories that explain what caused the Dancing Plague?
There are several theories, but no single one is proven. The main explanations for the event include:
- Ergot Poisoning: The idea that people consumed bread made from rye contaminated with a fungus called ergot, which can cause spasms and hallucinations.
- Religious Cult: Some historians suggest the dancers were part of a religious sect performing a ritual.
- Mass Hysteria: This is the most accepted theory today. It suggests that extreme stress from famine and disease led to a mass psychogenic illness, where psychological distress manifested as uncontrollable dancing.
3. How long did the 1518 Dancing Plague last and how many people were affected?
The plague began in July 1518 and lasted for about two months, ending around August or September of the same year. It started with a single woman and eventually grew to affect around 400 people in the city of Strasbourg.
4. How did the Dancing Plague of 1518 finally end?
The event ended almost as mysteriously as it started. Initially, authorities encouraged the dancing, believing the dancers needed to “dance out” the fever. When this led to deaths from exhaustion, they changed their approach. The dancers were eventually taken to a mountain shrine to pray, and the mania gradually subsided over several weeks.
5. Did anyone survive the Dancing Plague?
Yes, the vast majority of people survived. While historical sources mention that dozens of people died from exhaustion, strokes, or heart attacks due to the non-stop physical exertion, most of the 400 affected individuals eventually stopped dancing and recovered.
6. Why is the 'mass hysteria' theory the most accepted explanation for the Dancing Plague?
The mass hysteria theory is favoured because it best fits the historical context. The people of Strasbourg in 1518 were suffering from extreme famine, poverty, and disease. This created a high-stress environment where a psychological breakdown was plausible. This theory explains why the symptoms were not consistent with poisoning and why the phenomenon was contained socially rather than spreading like an infectious disease.
7. Are there any modern examples of mass hysteria similar to the Dancing Plague?
Yes, while not typically involving dancing, modern cases of mass psychogenic illness do occur. A well-known example is the “Tanganyika laughter epidemic” of 1962, where uncontrollable laughter spread through a community. These events show how psychological distress, often triggered by stress, can manifest as shared physical symptoms within a group.
8. How was the Dancing Plague of 1518 different from the one in 1374?
Both were famous cases of “dancing mania,” but they had key differences. The 1374 outbreak was geographically larger, spreading across several towns along the Rhine river. In contrast, the 1518 plague was mostly confined to the single city of Strasbourg. The official response also differed; in 1518, authorities initially tried to manage it by encouraging more dancing, a strategy not used in the earlier event.
