Mysterious occurrences that cast doubt on our comprehension of the human body and mind abound in the history of medicine. The "Dancing Plague" or "Dancing Mania" is one of the most unusual of these. From the streets of Strasbourg in 1518 to the little village of Kölbigk in 1021, Europe saw multiple outbreaks of people dancing until they were exhausted and occasionally even died. These mysterious events, frequently connected to superstitious events, provide intriguing insights into the medieval mind and the influence of group behavior.

Early Accounts: The Dance Begins

 1. Kölbigk, 1021

The German town of Kölbigk recorded a dancing plague on Christmas Eve in 1021, which is the earliest known description of the phenomenon. Eighteen individuals, chroniclers say, gathered outside a church and danced wildly, clapping and chanting, apparently unaware that Mass was being held inside. Frustrated by their lack of respect, the local priest cursed them to dance for a full year.

Amazingly, the curse appeared to stick, and they kept dancing until Christmas the next year. Upon their eventual cessation, numerous individuals dozed out, with a few never waking up. Partially mythologized, this occurrence served as a catalyst for a string of comparable outbreaks throughout medieval Europe. It was viewed as divine retribution, which reflected the prevailing belief at the time in supernatural causes for unexplainable occurrences.

2. Erfurt and Maastricht, 1247

The next significant outbreak was in Germany's Erfurt in 1247, and it was followed by a catastrophic incident in Maastricht. It was reported that 200 individuals danced on a bridge across the Moselle River in Maastricht until the bridge collapsed and they drowned. These stories, though they might be overstated, show a pattern of erratic, obsessive dancing that persisted throughout the Middle Ages.

3. The Great Dance of 1374

The year 1374 saw one of the most extensive and extensively reported outbreaks. Thousands were affected by this virus that raced through Northeastern France, the Low Countries, and Western Germany. The sick were reported by Chroniclers to have been screaming visions, dancing in agony for days or even weeks, and pleading with the clergy for assistance. The scope of this outbreak is noteworthy, as are the detailed accounts of the dancers' anguish, which included hallucinations and an odd dislike of red and pointed shoes.

4. The Strasbourg Epidemic of 1518: The Dance at Its Peak

July 1518 was the start of the most well-known and well reported case of dancing mania in Strasbourg, which was then a part of the Holy Roman Empire. It all began when Frau Troffea, a woman, started dancing on the street for no apparent reason. Dozens more joined her within days, and by the end of the month, the total had grown to over 400. Initially, the dance was encouraged by the city authorities, who were confused and desperately tried to regulate the situation, thinking it would eventually end. Believing that organized dancing would heal the ailing, they even built a stage and recruited musicians. Rather, it made matters worse, and the dance went on uninterrupted.

According to some sources, the epidemic claimed up to 15 lives every day from heart attacks, strokes, and weariness. After the authorities moved the dancers to a shrine honoring Saint Vitus and asked the saint for assistance in lifting the curse, the lunacy eventually subsided.

Understanding the Dancing Plague: Theories and Explanations

Over the ages, several explanations have been proposed in response to the puzzling behavior of the dancing plagues. These include more contemporary psychological and physiological explanations as well as explanations rooted in the paranormal.

1. Ergot Poisoning

According to one concept, the dancers contracted ergotism from eating rye that had been tainted with ergot. Like LSD, ergot contains chemicals that can cause convulsions and hallucinations. This explanation is not without limitations, though. Sedentary dancing is unlikely due to the severe physical effects of ergotism. Moreover, the distinct regional and cultural patterns linked to these epidemics cannot be explained by ergotism.

2. Mass Psychogenic Illness

Mass psychogenic illnesses is a more commonly recognized notion in which a group's psychological suffering shows up physiologically. Extreme hardship, including famines, wars, and epidemics like the Black Death, plagued medieval Europe. Such extreme social strain could set forth mass hysteria. It's possible that the dance was a psychological diversion or a reaction to the pervasive fears of the day.

3. Trance and Altered States of Consciousness

According to some studies, the dancers went into a trance-like state. Prolonged physical exertion is made possible by the great reduction of pain and fatigue awareness that trance states can bring about. This notion is supported by the accounts of the dancers' detached reality and visions. These moods were frequently brought up culturally to fit in with preexisting rituals and ideas about possession and divine punishment.

4. Cultural and Religious Influences

Intense religiosity and a widespread belief in paranormal forces characterized medieval Europe. A common cause of dancing manic episodes was the dread of demonic possession or divine vengeance. For example, Saint Vitus was frequently cited as a source of the dancing plagues as well as a treatment. It's likely that the cultural background was very important in determining how these events developed and dispersed. People might have started dancing erratically because they thought they were cursed.

The Decline of the Dancing Plagues 

In Europe, the dance plagues had mostly vanished by the middle of the 17th century. The gradual transition from the intense supernaturalism of the Middle Ages to a more logical and scientific worldview occurred at the same time as this collapse. The Enlightenment reduced the need of supernatural explanations for medical phenomena by bringing new knowledge about illness and mental health.

Additionally, public health initiatives and modifications to agricultural practices probably decreased the frequency of outbreaks connected to tainted food sources as knowledge of ergotism and other physical causes of disease improved.

Legacy and Lessons

The Dancing Plague serves as a potent reminder of the significant influence that psychological and cultural variables can have on behavior. These epidemics provide important insights into the human condition and how civilizations deal with stress and uncertainty, making them more than just historical oddities.
Social and psychological stressors have a significant negative influence on physical health, as acknowledged by modern psychology and medicine. The dancing plagues highlight how crucial it is to recognize cultural context when identifying and treating mental health conditions. They also act as a warning against superstition and emphasize the value of compassion and reasoned responses to senseless suffering.

The tale of the Dancing Plague is a monument to the enduring power of faith and the human spirit's ability to both succumb to and conquer enormous challenges in a world that frequently appears chaotic and unpredictable. We have a greater understanding of the intricacies of human behaviour and the variety of ways our bodies and brains might react to environmental stressors when we consider these historical occurrences.

References

Backman LE. Religious Dances in the Christian Church and in Popular Medicine. Classen E, trans. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1952.

Bourguignon E. Possession. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 1991.

Midelfort EHC. A History of Madness in Sixteenth-Century Germany. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1999.

Waller J. A Time to Dance. A Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518. Cambridge: Icon Books, 2008.

By Dr. Pallavi Saxena