Medieval Mass Dancing Hysteria Grips Strasbourg for Months
The Dancing Plague of 1518 stands as one of history’s most bizarre and well-documented cases of mass hysteria, occurring in Strasbourg, Alsace (then part of the Holy Roman Empire) during the height of summer. From July through September 1518, this remarkable phenomenon saw hundreds of people dancing uncontrollably in the streets, leading to exhaustion, injury, and possibly death. The event, recorded in numerous contemporary sources including physician notes, cathedral sermons, and official city council documents, provides a fascinating window into medieval society’s response to inexplicable mass behavior.
The outbreak began on July 14, 1518, when a woman known as Frau Troffea stepped into a narrow cobblestone street outside her half-timbered house and began to dance. Unlike typical festivities or celebrations, Troffea’s dancing was neither accompanied by music nor part of any social gathering. Contemporary accounts describe her movements as fervent and uncontrollable, continuing without rest for nearly a week. What began as a singular bizarre occurrence soon transformed into a widespread phenomenon, as within days, approximately thirty other residents joined her compulsive dancing.
By August, the situation had escalated dramatically, with historical records indicating that up to 400 people had succumbed to this mysterious choreomania. Contemporary observers documented the horrifying physical manifestations of the endless dancing. Victims exhibited spasmodic movements and violent convulsions, their bodies drenched in sweat as they continued their involuntary dance. Their arms would thrash uncontrollably, and witnesses noted their eerily vacant, expressionless eyes. As the dancing continued, the physical toll became increasingly severe. Blood would pool in their feet, causing extreme swelling that eventually led to bleeding through their shoes. Many of the affected individuals cried out for help, but found themselves unable to cease their movements until completely overcome by exhaustion.
The response of Strasbourg’s authorities evolved as the crisis deepened. Initially, the city council sought medical expertise, consulting local physicians who made the remarkable prescription that the afflicted must “dance themselves free” of their condition. This led to a series of coordinated interventions that, in retrospect, likely exacerbated the situation. The council ordered the renovation of guild halls and market spaces to accommodate the dancers, hired musicians to provide accompaniment, and even brought in strong men to support those who had become too exhausted to stand on their own. These well-intentioned measures ultimately backfired, as the provision of music and designated dancing spaces appeared to encourage the spread of the phenomenon.
As the situation worsened, the authorities’ approach shifted dramatically. The council banned public dancing and prohibited music throughout the city, reflecting a growing belief that the plague was a manifestation of divine punishment, specifically from Saint Vitus. The afflicted were then subjected to a complex series of religious interventions. They were ordered to wear red shoes blessed with holy water and adorned with painted crosses on both tops and soles. Each dancer was required to hold small crosses in their hands while participating in elaborate ceremonies involving incense and Latin incantations. These religious remedies reflect the medieval understanding of inexplicable mass behaviors as expressions of either divine punishment or demonic possession.
The Dancing Plague of 1518 was not an isolated incident in medieval Europe. Similar outbreaks of dancing mania were recorded throughout the period, including a notable case in Kölbigk, Saxony, during the 11th century, where participants were allegedly cursed to dance for an entire year as divine punishment for disturbing Christmas Eve services. In 15th-century Apulia, Italy, a related phenomenon called tarantism emerged, where victims claimed to have been bitten by tarantulas, leading to convulsive dancing that could only be cured through specific musical remedies. These cases were studied by contemporary scholars such as Athanasius Kircher, who documented the musical treatments prescribed for tarantism victims.
Modern scholars have proposed various explanations for the Dancing Plague. One theory suggests that the dancers might have suffered from ergot poisoning, caused by consuming rye grain infected with a fungus that produces chemicals similar to LSD. However, this explanation has been challenged by historians like John Waller, who points out that ergot poisoning would have made sustained dancing physically impossible and would not explain why outbreaks consistently occurred along the Rhine and Moselle rivers despite varying climates and crop patterns.
The most widely accepted modern explanation, developed through extensive research by Waller and others, suggests that the Dancing Plague represented a case of stress-induced mass psychogenic illness. This theory considers the broader historical context of early 16th-century Alsace, a period marked by severe social and economic hardship. The region had experienced a series of natural disasters, crop failures, and disease outbreaks, creating conditions of extreme psychological stress. Combined with prevalent beliefs in divine punishment and supernatural intervention, these factors may have created the perfect conditions for an outbreak of mass hysteria.
The veracity and extent of fatalities during the Dancing Plague remain subjects of historical debate. While some sources claim that the outbreak killed as many as fifteen people per day at its peak, contemporary Strasbourg records do not explicitly mention deaths. Contemporary documentation may be incomplete or influenced by the cultural and religious beliefs of the time.
The Dancing Plague of 1518 has captured the imagination of artists and creators throughout the centuries, inspiring numerous cultural works. Recent interpretations include Jonathan Glazer’s 2020 short film “Strasbourg 1518,” Florence and the Machine’s 2022 song “Choreomania,” and various literary and dramatic works.
Source: wikipedia
