The Dancing Plague of 1518: When People Danced Themselves to Death

In July 1518, residents of Strasbourg, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, experienced a bizarre and deadly phenomenon known as the Dancing Plague. It began with a woman named Frau Troffea who started dancing uncontrollably in the streets. Within days, dozens more joined her, unable to stop their frenzied movements. The epidemic lasted for weeks, with many dancers collapsing from exhaustion or dying from heart attacks and strokes.

Medical and historical explanations for the Dancing Plague vary, with theories ranging from mass hysteria to ergot poisoning from contaminated bread. The true cause remains a mystery, but the event is a striking example of how social and psychological factors can manifest in extreme physical behaviors.