The Bizarre 'Dancing Plague' Of 1518: Was It Mass Hysteria or Toxic Fungus?

Picture this: locals of a city start dancing frantically. Not just for hours or days, but for two whole months. They dance uncontrollably. So much so, that many of them die out of exhaustion. This is not a scene from a movie, but a real-life story, recorded in history. We are referring to the dancing plague of 1518, which still remains a mystery in the medical world. To know what this bizarre plague was all about, read ahead.

How The Bizarre Outbreak Started 

In the summer of 1518, a bizarre and mysterious event was witnessed in the city of Strasbourg, which is at present a part of France. It all started when a woman named Frau Troffea stepped into the street and started dancing uncontrollably. It seemed like she was unable to stop. The woman continued her frantic movements until she collapsed from complete exhaustion. 

After resting for a brief period of time, she re-started her compulsive dancing, keeping it up for several days. Within just a week, the strange compulsion to dance started spreading; it is said that more than 30 other people joined her in this exhausting, non-stop dance.

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How The City Attempted To Stop The ‘Dancing Plague’

During this incident, the local authorities quickly got alarmed as the number of dancers multiplied. The dancers eventually reached as many as four hundred people. The city’s civic and religious leaders initially believed that the only cure for this frantic behavior was to encourage even more dancing. 

To help the ones affected, they arranged for guildhalls, hired musicians, and even got professional dancers to keep up with the momentum. Unfortunately, this wrong solution only made the contagion worse. It drew even more people into the moving crowd. The agonising marathon continued for about 2 months; and unfortunately, a number of the dancers died from sheer exhaustion before the dancing mania finally faded.

What is The Toxic Fungus Theory?

For centuries, people failed to understand what caused hundreds of citizens to literally dance themselves to death. The early observers blamed supernatural forces like demonic possession or a medical imbalance called ‘overheated blood’. 

In the 20th century, modern investigators came up with a scientific explanation that involved a dangerous fungal disease known as ergot. They suggested that the dancers may have accidentally consumed contaminated rye bread baked with this toxic fungus. Since ergot is known to cause severe physical convulsions and hallucinations, the experts stated that this can perfectly explain the uncontrollable movements of the crowd.

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What Is The Mass Hysteria Theory?

While the fungus theory sounds possible, there is another most widely accepted explanation. It points towards a severe psychological phenomenon. Medical historians believe that the event was actually a classic case of mass psychogenic disorder, also known as mass hysteria. 

During that time, the residents of Strasbourg were under immense stress due to devastating famines and deadly diseases such as smallpox and syphilis. Adding to this immense anxiety was a strong local superstition that a religious figure named St Vitus would curse sinners by forcing them to dance. This overwhelming mental pressure and deep-seated fear may have caused a collective psychological breakdown manifested as an unstoppable urge to keep moving.

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Conclusion

The Dancing Plague of 1518, even today, is termed as one of the most bizarre and captivating medical mysteries in history. While accidental poisoning from a toxic fungus sounds like a valid physical explanation, modern historians state that the deadly event may have been a result of mass hysteria, caused by severe famine, disease, and deep-rooted superstitions. To conclude, this tragic marathon still serves as a haunting reminder of the unpredictable ways how profound psychological stress can hijack the human body.