The mysterious Dancing Plague of 1518
In the summer of 1518, a strange kind of plague struck the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace. One morning, a woman named Frau Troffea began to dance in the street, unable to stop. Within a few days, she was joined by dozens of others. Within a month, nearly 400 people in Strasbourg were caught in an uncontrollable dancing frenzy. This phenomenon, known as the **Dancing Plague of 1518**, defied all rational explanation. Victims continued to dance day and night, often until fatigue, heart attacks, or exhaustion took their lives. What caused this epidemic remains a puzzling mystery.
A Mysterious Illness
Authorities at the time, confronted with this strange disease, believed it was caused by "hot blood." They ordered the victims to continue dancing, believing it was the only way to cure them. To do so, they set up a public dance hall and even hired professional musicians, which only made the problem worse. More and more people were infected by this frenzy, and death continued to take its toll. Today, experts have two main theories to explain this fascinating phenomenon.
The Main Theories
Theory 1: Mass Hysteria
The most widely accepted theory is that the dancing plague was a form of mass hysteria, also known as psychogenic conversion disorder. The year 1518 was a time of great misery, with famine, poverty, and epidemics ravaging the entire region. The psychological stress and superstitions of the time could have triggered an uncontrollable psychosomatic reaction in the most vulnerable inhabitants. The fact that the authorities encouraged the dancing would have validated their behavior and made it even more uncontrollable.
Theory 2: Rye Ergot Poisoning
Another theory put forward is that the dancing was caused by poisoning from a parasitic fungus, rye ergot. This fungus, which grows on rye and other grains, can cause convulsions, spasms, hallucinations, and burning sensations, symptoms that could be interpreted as dancing. However, this theory is increasingly debated, as victims of rye ergot usually suffer from convulsions and physical symptoms that were not reported in the accounts of the time, which describe a voluntary but uncontrollable dance.
The Enigma Persists
Although the mass hysteria theory seems the most plausible to explain the dancing plague, the phenomenon remains a mystery. It reminds us of how the human body and mind can react in unexpected ways to extreme psychological pressure. This event, which seems straight out of fiction, is one of the strangest in history.