In July 1518, the city of Strasbourg was struck by a bizarre and unexplained dancing plague that afflicted hundreds of residents. A woman known as Frau Troffea began silently twisting and twirling in the street, seemingly unable to stop dancing for nearly a week.

Soon, as many as 400 people joined in the frenzied and uncontrollable dancing mania that swept through the city over the course of several months, with some even dancing themselves to death from sheer exhaustion.

Occurrences of Dancing Mania

The dancing plague, or choreomania, was not an isolated incident confined to a single location or time period. Records reveal numerous outbreaks spanning several centuries across various regions.

Initial Outbreaks

One of the earliest known incidents occurred in the 1020s in Bernburg, Germany, where 18 peasants disrupted a Christmas Eve service by dancing and singing around a church. In 1237, a group of children traveled from Erfurt to Arnstadt, jumping and dancing the entire way, reminiscent of the Pied Piper legend. Another notable case in 1278 involved around 200 people dancing on a bridge over the River Meuse until it collapsed.

Spread and Popularity

The first major outbreak occurred between 1373 and 1374, with incidents reported in England, Germany, and the Netherlands. On June 24, 1374, a significant outbreak began in Aachen, spreading to nearby cities like Cologne, Flanders, Franconia, Hainaut, Metz, Strasbourg, Tongeren, Utrecht, and regions such as Italy and Luxembourg. Further episodes were recorded in 1375, 1376, 1381 (in Augsburg), and 1418 (in Strasbourg, where people fasted for days, potentially contributing to the outbreak).

Reported Cases in Different Regions

1. In 1428, a monk in Schaffhausen danced to death, while a group of women in Zürich experienced a dancing frenzy.
2. One of the most extensive outbreaks occurred in July 1518 in Strasbourg, where a woman named Frau Troffea began dancing in the street, and between 50 and 400 people joined her.
3. During the 16th century, when the mania was at its peak, incidents were reported in 1536 in Basel (involving children) and in 1551 in Anhalt (involving a single man).
4. In the 17th century, Professor Gregor Horst documented recurrent dancing incidents, with some women visiting a chapel annually and dancing for days until collapsing in ecstasy, continuing the pattern for over 20 years.

The dancing plague, while bizarre, was a widespread phenomenon that affected various regions and persisted for several centuries, with outbreaks occurring in different forms and intensities.

Symptoms and Effects on Victims

The dancing plague manifested itself in a variety of bizarre and unsettling symptoms among its victims. These symptoms can be broadly categorized into physical and mental effects, which had a profound impact on both individuals and communities.

Physical Symptoms

The most striking physical symptom was the uncontrollable and frenzied dancing that could last for days, weeks, or even months. Dancers would twist, twirl, and writhe until they collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Their feet often became bruised, blistered, and bloodied as they danced relentlessly, wearing out their shoes. Some dancers even died from the exertion, succumbing to strokes, heart attacks, or complete physical exhaustion.

Other physical manifestations included foaming at the mouth, convulsions, hyperventilation, and epileptic fits. Dancers were reported to have an aversion to pointed shoes and the color red, becoming agitated or even violent upon seeing these triggers.

Mental Symptoms

The mental effects of the dancing plague were equally disturbing. Victims experienced hallucinations, visions, and altered states of consciousness. They would scream, laugh, or cry uncontrollably, and some even claimed to see devils or experience ecstatic states.

Observers noted that the dancers’ minds were no longer clear, and they would rage “like beasts over the land” once they had wearied themselves through dancing and jumping. This suggests a dissociative state, where the victims were not fully conscious of their actions or surroundings.

Impact on Communities

The dancing plague had a profound impact on entire communities, affecting people from all walks of life – rich and poor, young and old, men and women. As the mania spread, it disrupted daily life and caused alarm among authorities who struggled to understand and control the phenomenon.

In some cases, the mania was contagious, with entire families or small groups succumbing to the urge to dance. Onlookers who refused to join in were sometimes treated violently, further exacerbating the chaos and social disruption caused by the outbreaks.

The dancing plague was not just a physical and mental affliction but also a social and cultural phenomenon that challenged the norms and order of the communities it affected.

Modern Studies and Perspectives

Contemporary explanations for the dancing plague included demonic possession and overheated blood. However, modern studies have offered more scientific perspectives on this bizarre phenomenon.

Medical Explanations

One widely discussed theory suggests that the afflicted might have consumed bread made from rye flour contaminated with the fungal disease ergot, known to produce convulsions. However, medical historian John Waller debunked this hypothesis, arguing that while ergot can cause hallucinations, it restricts blood flow to the extremities, making sustained dancing impossible.

Psychological Explanations

Waller proposed that the dancing plague was a form of mass psychogenic disorder, where extreme stress and local fears manifested in physical symptoms. He cited factors like famines, diseases like smallpox and syphilis, and the belief that failing to appease St. Vitus, the patron saint of dancers, would lead to a curse of uncontrollable dancing.

American sociologist Robert Bartholomew posited that the dancers were adherents of heretical sects, dancing to attract divine favor. However, Waller’s explanation, rooted in the cultural and spiritual environment of 16th-century Strasbourg, is more widely accepted.

Anthropological Views

Some anthropologists draw parallels between the dancing plague and trance states observed in various cultures today. During periods of extreme stress, people may enter trances deliberately or involuntarily, marginalizing their perception of pain and exhaustion. This phenomenon, known as “psychic contagion,” can spread rapidly within a community, as seen in the laughing epidemic in Tanganyika (modern-day Tanzania) in 1963.

Experts suggest that certain features, such as a lack of organic basis, occurrence in closed groups, and high levels of stress, indicate a psychogenic origin for such outbreaks. However, potential toxic or pathogenic exposures must be thoroughly investigated before attributing the cause to psychological factors.

Conclusion

The dancing plague was a peculiar and unsettling phenomenon that gripped societies across Europe for centuries. While the exact causes remain a subject of debate, it serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact that psychological, social, and cultural factors can have on human behavior and collective experiences. The outbreak in Strasbourg in 1518, with its chilling accounts of uncontrollable dancing and hallucinations, epitomizes the extremes to which such phenomena can manifest.

Modern perspectives have shed light on the interplay between stressors, beliefs, and the potential for contagious behavior patterns. Although the dancing plague may seem bizarre in hindsight, it highlights the importance of understanding the complex interrelationships between mind, body, and societal influences. As we delve into the mysteries of the past, we gain valuable insights into the human condition, reminding us of the ever-present need for empathy, understanding, and a holistic approach to addressing collective experiences that defy conventional explanations.