The Dancing Plague of 1518, also known as the Strasbourg Dancing Mania, occurred in Strasbourg, France from July to August of that year. It was during the height of religious turmoil in Europe, with Catholics and Protestants fighting for control of the region. Many believed the plague was caused by supernatural forces. This video provides an intriguing glimpse into how people responded to a mysterious phenomenon during the medieval period, and presents a fascinating account of how beliefs and superstitions were used to explain and even attempt to fix a strange phenomenon.
History
In July of the year 1518, a woman known as Frau Troffea began dancing in the streets of Strasbourg, which is regarded as the beginning of the Dancing Plague. In less than a week, an additional 34 individuals joined her, and by the end of the month, the total number of participants had increased to almost 400.
Despite the scorching heat of the summer, the dancers, who were largely women, performed their routines 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a direct consequence of the dance, many people succumbed to weariness, heart attacks, strokes, and a variety of other ailments; some of them even passed away.
The physical symptoms of the Dancing Plague included participants dancing for days without rest or sleep, leading to physical exhaustion and dehydration. Speaking in tongues and having demons possess them were among the affected people’s mental symptoms, along with entering a hypnotic-like state.
The government was at a loss as to how to respond to the outbreak, and some people even believed that it was a portent of the end of the world. They attempted to put an end to the dancing using a variety of means, such as issuing orders for the dancers to be jailed or punished, but nothing appeared to succeed. In the end, they came to the conclusion that the only way to try to control the epidemic was to construct a stage and employ musicians to play music in the hopes that the dancers would become exhausted and cease dancing. The dance eventually stopped after a period of many months, indicating that this strategy had some degree of success.
The gradual decrease in participants led to the eventual end of the plague in August 1518. Many participants died due to exhaustion and dehydration.
Causes
The Dancing Plague of 1518 has long been a source of fascination and confusion. Historians are still unsure as to what caused the sudden onset of hundreds of people dancing in the streets for days on end, with many fatalities resulting from exhaustion or heart attacks. One hypothesis is that it was an instance of mass hysteria, when a group’s emotions become so heightened that they act out in strange ways. This may help to explain why those who had contracted the plague started dancing nonstop for no apparent reason. While this may not be the full story behind the mysterious event, it offers some insight into what could have triggered such bizarre behavior en masse.
The idea that ergotism was the cause of the Dancing Plague of 1518 is based on the fact that many of its symptoms, such as hallucinations and convulsions, are similar to those of the plague. Ergotism occurs when rye is contaminated with a fungus called Claviceps purpurea. This fungus produces toxins known as alkaloids which can cause various health problems including seizures, fever, vomiting and even death in extreme cases. Ingesting foods or drinks made from contaminated rye can lead to ergot poisoning and it’s possible that this may have been what happened during the Dancing Plague. It’s also important to note that other factors such as social stressors could have played a role in causing or exacerbating the epidemic.
St. Vitus’ Dance, also known as Sydenham’s Chorea, is a neurological disorder that can cause sufferers to experience sudden and uncontrollable movements of their limbs. This condition has been suggested as one possible explanation for the Dancing Plague of 1518. However, it is likely that this pandemic was caused by a combination of different factors including social dynamics, psychological influences such as mass hysteria or stress-induced psychosis, and physiological elements like an underlying medical condition or substance abuse. As the exact cause remains unknown, further research into these potential causes would be beneficial in order to gain greater insight into this mysterious event.
It is believed that the people of Medieval Europe were very superstitious and as such, they looked for supernatural explanations to explain the Dancing Plague. Many believed that it was a punishment from God for their sins, while others thought it was due to an unknown source cursing them. There were also reports of witchcraft being practiced in certain areas where the plague had struck which further fueled speculation about its cause. Regardless of what people believed, no one could definitively explain why so many people suddenly began dancing uncontrollably in Strasbourg back in 1518.
Response
The responses to the Dancing Plague of 1518 demonstrate how deeply embedded superstitions and religious beliefs were in Medieval Europe. People believed that supernatural forces were responsible for the plague, so they turned to religion as a way to seek deliverance from it. The authorities attempted to end the plague by ordering priests to perform exorcisms, ringing church bells and ordering public prayers for those affected by the disease. They also brought in musicians to play soothing music with melodies that would supposedly counteract or stop the spread of the plague. Unfortunately, these efforts did not succeed and many people died due to this mysterious epidemic.
Ordinary people were not just bystanders during the Dancing Plague of 1518. Many attempted to join in on the dancing, which only served to make the situation worse as more and more people became involved and it lasted for a longer duration. While some merely watched, others tried to help those affected by providing food, water or medical care. However, due to a lack of knowledge surrounding mental health at that time, these attempts at assistance had little effect on ending the plague.
The immediate aftermath raised awareness of medical conditions such as ergotism, as well as increasing belief in superstitions and religious explanations for strange phenomena.
Debate
The debate surrounding the magnitude of fatalities caused by the Dancing Plague of 1518 is still ongoing. Some sources claim that fifteen people died each day due to exhaustion and heart attacks, however no official records from Strasbourg at the time mention any deaths or casualties. It seems there are no contemporary sources which can confirm whether anyone actually died as a result of this mysterious phenomenon.
The primary sources for the assertion are the book A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518 and various journal papers on the issue by John Waller. All of the sources Waller identified that mentioned deaths were subsequent descriptions of the incidents. Additionally, there is ambiguity regarding the initial dancer’s identity. It is either an unknown woman or Frau Troffea. The quantity of dancers participating is somewhere between 50 and 400 depending on the source. Four of the six chronicle tales affirm Lady Troffea’s status as the very first dancer.
The Dancing Plague of 1518 was a mysterious event that occurred in Strasbourg, France during the height of religious turmoil in Europe. The responses from both authorities and ordinary people demonstrate how deeply embedded superstitions and religious beliefs were in Medieval Europe, where many believed supernatural forces were at work during the Dancing Plague. The event provides an intriguing glimpse into how people responded to mysterious phenomena during this time period, presenting a fascinating account of how beliefs and superstitions were used to explain and even attempt to fix strange events.
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