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The dancing plague, often called dancing mania, was a strange phenomenon that struck various regions in Western Europe from the 14th to the 17th century. One of the most infamous outbreaks took place during the summer of 1518 in Strasbourg, France, where individuals reportedly danced until they collapsed and even died from sheer exhaustion.
10. The Story of Frau Troffea
Just before the feast of Mary Magdalene in 1518, Frau Troffea stepped outside her home and began dancing uncontrollably. Her movements were erratic as she danced throughout the day, eventually collapsing from exhaustion as night fell.
Her muscles twitched uncontrollably, soaked in sweat. After a few hours of sleep, she awoke and resumed her strange, relentless dancing. By the third day, her shoes were drenched in blood. Though utterly fatigued, there was no respite for her weary body.
Spectators observed as Frau Troffea, eventually taken to a shrine in hopes of curing her condition, continued to dance, but it was too late. Soon, others joined in, dancing in the streets. What began with thirty individuals quickly escalated to over 400, all of whom danced until their feet bled or they collapsed.
9. The Mystery of the Cause
As the streets filled with more and more dancers throughout August, their legs jerking uncontrollably in a grim, twisted dance, the city's inhabitants grew increasingly terrified. The dancers seemed mad, prompting debates among onlookers over who was responsible: God or the devil? By the time hundreds had joined the frenzy, dancing in the streets in a state of exhaustion, blood, and sweat, it was estimated that up to 15 people were dying from the plague each day.
What was the true cause of the dancing plague? Could it have been a case of mass hysteria, or was it an actual epidemic triggered by a virus? The mystery behind the dancing plague in Strasbourg and other parts of Western Europe remains unsolved to this day, but numerous theories attempt to explain this bizarre occurrence.
8. Paracelsus's View
In 1526, just a few years after the dancing plague, Paracelsus, a renowned physician and alchemist, visited Strasbourg. He became the first to document Frau Troffea’s case and was also the first to coin the term "choreomania" to describe the mysterious condition of uncontrollable dancing.
Paracelsus had his own theory regarding the cause of the dancing plague. It was revealed that Frau Troffea’s husband despised her dancing. Paracelsus, along with some people from Strasbourg, believed that she had started dancing simply to provoke her husband.
Paracelsus divided the dancing sickness into three main causes. First, he suggested it arose from the imagination. Second, he believed that some individuals may have been driven to dance due to sexual frustration. Finally, he considered physical causes for some of those who exhibited uncontrollable dancing. In the end, Paracelsus argued that unhappy wives were the primary cause of the dancing plague.
7. Social Strain
One of the more likely explanations for the dancing plague is stress. The outbreak followed closely after the Black Death, and it seemed as though those afflicted were experiencing involuntary leg spasms—an occurrence that still appears in a small number of psychiatric patients today, though to a lesser degree.
The stress may have been linked to spiritual guilt, with sufferers believing they were being punished by God for their sins. There was also significant societal tension during this period, with class divisions causing strife. When combined with widespread poverty and hunger, it created a situation where people were at risk of breaking down under the pressure.
6. Tarantula Bites
The dancing plague wasn't confined to France. Italy too experienced outbreaks of the dance mania, which they named tarantism. People there believed that the uncontrollable dancing was caused by tarantula bites. Those bitten would twitch and dance involuntarily. It was said that they felt an irresistible pull toward the sea, with many tragically ending their lives by plunging into the frigid waters.
Although tarantula bites are harmless to humans, the final known case of tarantism in Italy was investigated as recently as 1959.
5. The Binding Cure
Various techniques were employed in attempts to treat those afflicted by the dancing mania. One widely used method involved binding the sufferers tightly.
The afflicted individuals were wrapped in cloth, much like babies swaddled in blankets. This was done to stop them from dancing themselves to exhaustion or injury.
Some victims also reported that applying pressure to their stomachs offered some relief. A few even requested to be punched or stomped on the stomach to alleviate the symptoms.
4. Darkness and Fasting
Paracelsus proposed his own method for treating the dancing disease. He referred to the sufferers as "whores and scoundrels" and believed they should be treated just as harshly as his harsh words suggested.
His first recommendation was to imprison the victims in a dark room, and the more unpleasant the environment, the better. Secondly, he advocated for a strict fast, permitting only bread and water.
It remains unclear whether this severe treatment was effective, but it likely was no worse than the exorcisms performed by the church on those affected by the dance mania.
3. Saint Vitus’s Dance
Saint Vitus's Dance is frequently mistaken for a traditional dance mania, but in reality, it wasn't a dance at all. Though Saint Vitus, the patron saint of dancers, was linked to it, those afflicted by Saint Vitus's Dance suffered from a disease that caused their bodies to uncontrollably twitch or jerk. Now recognized as Sydenham’s chorea, victims of this condition were often brought to the Chapel of St. Vitus, hoping for a cure.
The Catholic Church insisted that those stricken by Saint Vitus’s Dance make a pilgrimage to the chapel. Anyone who refused to do so risked being excommunicated.
2. The Dance of Saint John
In the 1300s, a dance mania spread throughout Germany, right after the Black Death. Men and women took to the streets, convulsing and dancing uncontrollably. They leapt around, foaming at the mouth, and looked as if they were possessed.
The craze spread from one person to the next. Some of the sufferers were wrapped in blankets and seemed to recover briefly, only to fall back into the madness once again.
Those affected by the dancing fits reported being completely unaware of their surroundings. They heard no sounds, saw nothing, but were driven by an overwhelming urge to move, scream, and dance, until they finally collapsed from exhaustion.
1. The Children’s Dance Plague
Historical records indicate that in 1237, a large group of children in Erfurt, Germany, became afflicted with the dancing plague. Around 100 children began to dance uncontrollably, eventually making their way to Arnstadt, where they collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
The children were gathered up and returned to their families. Some of them passed away shortly after, while others are said to have lived with a persistent tremor that never subsided.
The cause of this mysterious outbreak remains unknown.
