The Dancing Plague of 1518

Supernatural

The Dancing Plague of 1518 in Strasbourg is a fascinating historical event that puzzled many with its supernatural explanations. Gary Arndt describes how the outbreak began with a single woman, Frau Troffe, and rapidly spread, causing people to dance uncontrollably for days or even weeks 1. Early explanations attributed this phenomenon to demonic possession or divine intervention, with some believing it was a curse from saints like St. John the Baptist or St. Vitus 1.

The original explanation was, not surprisingly, supernatural. However, the diagnosis was often quite different, depending on who was doing the diagnosing.

--- Gary Arndt

These supernatural beliefs led to mass exorcisms and prayers as attempts to cure the afflicted, reflecting the era's reliance on spiritual interpretations of unexplained events.

   

Mass Hysteria

The mass hysteria theory offers a psychological explanation for the Dancing Plague, suggesting it was a stress-induced phenomenon. Gary Arndt notes that this could be one of the earliest documented cases of mass hysteria, possibly triggered by the aftermath of the Black Death or periods of famine 2. The idea is that once the initial cases were known, the fear and stress could have spread the compulsion to dance among the population.

I personally lean towards the mass hysteria explanation. We've seen fads and other social trends before in history, and this might just be an example of that.

--- Gary Arndt

This theory highlights how psychological factors can manifest in physical behaviors, leading to widespread phenomena without a clear physical cause.

   

Ergot Poisoning

Another intriguing hypothesis is that ergot fungi poisoning might have caused the Dancing Plague. Gary Arndt explains that ergot fungi, which grows on damp grains, contains ergotamine, a chemical similar to LSD 2. This could have led to hallucinations and uncontrollable movements, akin to a drug-induced state. However, this theory struggles to explain the prolonged nature of the dancing episodes and their geographic spread.

Perhaps the most interesting explanation as to what happened was that it was due to poisoning, in particular a strain of fungus known as the ergot fungi.

--- Gary Arndt

Despite its appeal, the ergot poisoning hypothesis remains speculative, as it doesn't fully account for all aspects of the historical accounts.