The dancing plague of 1518, or the dance epidemic of 1518 (French: Épidémie dansante de 1518), remains one of history’s most baffling events.
This bizarre occurrence took place in Strasbourg, Alsace (modern-day France), part of the Holy Roman Empire, from July to September 1518.
During this period, an estimated 50 to 400 people were gripped by an uncontrollable urge to dance for weeks on end.
While theories about the cause range from stress-induced hysteria to ergot poisoning, no definitive explanation has emerged.
Historian John Waller argues that mass hysteria triggered by extreme psychological stress is the most plausible cause.
However, the episode, which allegedly resulted in numerous deaths, remains shrouded in mystery.
How It Began
The outbreak started in July 1518 when a woman named Frau Troffea began dancing uncontrollably in a narrow, cobbled street outside her timber-framed home.
According to historical accounts, she danced without music, lost in her frenzied movements. Ned Pennant-Rea recounts how witnesses initially viewed her behavior as unusual but harmless.
However, within days, others began imitating her, and soon more than 30 individuals joined her in an unstoppable dance.
Troffea herself reportedly danced for an entire week before collapsing.
By August, the epidemic escalated, with an estimated 400 participants.
The afflicted exhibited jerky, convulsive movements, and many reportedly danced until they collapsed from exhaustion.
Some accounts suggest they suffered strokes, heart attacks, or other fatal complications due to the extreme physical strain.
Their vacant, expressionless eyes and cries for help added to the horror.
Eyewitnesses described swollen, bloodied feet and bodies drenched in sweat.
Some accounts even claim that up to 15 people per day succumbed to the condition at its peak, though the total number of fatalities remains a subject of debate.
The Authorities’ Response
At first, local leaders in Strasbourg believed the dancers were bewitched or suffering divine punishment.
Historical records, including city council notes and physician reports, document the authorities’ evolving response to the crisis.
Initially, they sought to help the afflicted by encouraging them to “dance it out.”
They hired musicians, refurbished guild halls, and enlisted strong individuals to support those who could no longer stand on their own.
This strategy, however, had unintended consequences, as it appeared to fuel the epidemic further.
As the outbreak persisted, the council shifted tactics, banning public dancing and music entirely.
The afflicted were sent to the shrine of Saint Vitus, a patron saint believed to influence such episodes.
There, they participated in rituals involving red shoes sprinkled with holy water, Latin prayers, incense, and crosses.
According to some reports, this religious intervention ultimately ended the epidemic.
A Widespread Mystery
Historical documents from the period, including physician notes, sermons, and chronicles, confirm the unusual nature of the outbreak.
Accounts agree that the dancing began with a single individual and rapidly spread to dozens, if not hundreds, of people.
Yet, the reasons behind this strange behavior remain unclear.
Theories about the epidemic’s cause abound.
Some contemporary explanations pointed to supernatural forces, suggesting that the dancers were either possessed by demons or afflicted by divine wrath.
Others believed the condition was caused by “overheated blood,” a common medical theory of the time.
Theories Behind the Epidemic
Over the centuries, several theories have been proposed to explain the dancing plague, each with its own merits and limitations:
Ergot Poisoning: One of the most prominent explanations involves ergotism, a condition caused by consuming bread made from rye infected with ergot fungus.
This fungus produces ergotamine, a psychoactive compound related to LSD.
Ergot poisoning has been linked to other historical anomalies, such as the Salem witch trials.
However, John Waller dismisses this theory, arguing that ergot poisoning would more likely cause convulsions and hallucinations rather than prolonged dancing.
Additionally, it is unlikely that so many people would respond in the same way to ergot’s effects.
Stress-Induced Mass Hysteria: Waller suggests that the dancing plague was a case of mass psychogenic illness triggered by extreme psychological distress.
During the early 1500s, Alsace was plagued by famine, disease, and widespread superstition.
These harsh conditions may have pushed people to a breaking point, leading to collective hysteria.
Waller describes the phenomenon as “stress-induced psychosis” on a mass scale, driven by a combination of fear, starvation, and disease.
Religious and Cultural Factors: Superstitions surrounding Saint Vitus, who was believed to punish sinners with uncontrollable dancing, may have played a significant role.
Some participants may have joined the dancing out of fear, believing that doing so would protect them from divine retribution.
Religious rituals, such as the pilgrimage to Saint Vitus’ shrine, were seen as necessary to end the epidemic.
Parallels in History
The dancing plague of 1518 was not an isolated event.
Similar outbreaks were recorded throughout medieval Europe.
In 11th-century Kölbigk, Saxony, for example, a group of villagers was said to have been cursed with uncontrollable dancing as divine punishment.
In 15th-century Italy, a condition known as tarantism emerged, in which victims convulsively danced after being bitten by a tarantula.
The venom was believed to cause the behavior, and rhythmic music was thought to cure it.
These historical parallels suggest that the dancing plague may have been part of a broader pattern of choreomania, a term derived from the Greek word khoreia, meaning “to dance.”
Various forms of chorea, such as St. Vitus’ dance and St. John’s dance, were documented in the Middle Ages, often associated with supernatural or religious explanations.
Controversy Over Fatalities
The question of whether the dancing plague resulted in deaths remains unresolved.
While some accounts claim that as many as 15 people per day died during the outbreak, contemporary records from Strasbourg do not mention fatalities.
Later sources, including Waller’s work, rely on anecdotal evidence or secondhand accounts.
If the daily death tolls were accurate, the total number of fatalities could have reached the hundreds.
However, the absence of concrete evidence leaves this claim open to doubt.
Modern Interpretations and Legacy
The dancing plague has continued to fascinate scholars and the public alike.
It has inspired numerous cultural works, including Jonathan Glazer’s 2020 short film Strasbourg 1518 and Florence and the Machine’s song “Choreomania” from the 2022 album Dance Fever.
Fictionalized accounts of the event have appeared in books and plays, such as Julian Simpson’s BBC radio drama A Time to Dance.
More recently, the 2024 rap song “RATKING 1518” by Grim Salvo drew on the epidemic as a metaphor for social and psychological unrest.
Featured Image: History Extra
