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Most people have never heard of this. But once you do, you can’t forget it. The Dancing Plague of 1518—but the deeper I dug, the more convinced I became that this is one of the most fascinating stories in recent memory.
It Began With One Woman
In July 1518, a woman named Frau Troffea stepped into the streets of Strasbourg and began to dance. She didn’t stop. Within days, others joined her. By the end of the month, up to 400 people were dancing in the streets, unable to control themselves. Physicians prescribed MORE dancing as a cure. Many collapsed from exhaustion, heart attacks, or strokes.
Historical Context
Period chronicles by physician Paracelsus and others recorded the event. Strasbourg was suffering from famine, disease (syphilis was rampant), and extreme stress from recent conflicts. The city had also recently executed accused witches, creating an atmosphere of fear and superstition.
The plot twist nobody saw coming?
Modern Theories
Ergot poisoning (LSD-like fungus on rye), mass psychogenic illness, and stress-induced trance states have all been proposed. Dr. John Waller’s 2008 book ‘A Time to Dance, A Time to Die’ argues for psychogenic causes. The ergot theory has been largely dismissed because ergot causes constriction of blood vessels, not dancing—but other toxins remain possible.
The Aftermath
Between 50 and 100 people died. The plague ended only when authorities loaded the remaining dancers onto carts and took them to a mountaintop shrine to St. Vitus. This ‘St. Vitus’s Dance’ remains one of the strangest episodes in medical history.
Key Takeaways
- The Dancing Plague of 1518 affected up to 400 people in Strasbourg, Germany.
- Physicians at the time prescribed MORE dancing as a cure, worsening the crisis.
- Modern theories include ergot poisoning, mass psychogenic illness, and stress-induced trance.
- The event ended only when dancers were taken to a shrine to St. Vitus—a classic example of medieval spiritual intervention.
The more we learn, the more we realize how much we don’t know.
