In 1518 an enigmatic psychiatric condition broke out around Strasbourg in France (Blom, 2010; Hecker, 1837; Tuke, 1892). The dancing plague commenced with one Frau Troffea, who began a fervent dancing vigil that lasted between four and six days. Within a week 34 other citizens of the town had joined her in dancing, and by the end of the month the numbers had swelled to over 400. Medical authorities thought that the only cure would come with further dancing, but this resulted in dozens of deaths from heart attacks, strokes and sheer exhaustion. Several theories have been put forward to explain this phenomenon, ranging from the effects of ergotism (poisoning from an hallucinogenic fungus that contaminates bread; Blom, 2010; Golden, 2006; Melechi, 2003; Tuke, 1892) to mass psychogenic illness (a form of mass hysteria usually preceded by intolerable levels of psychological distress) (O’Neill, n.d.; Waller, 2009). At least seven other outbreaks of dancing mania occurred in medieval Europe, all with no rational explanation at the time (Blom, 2010; Hecker, 1837; Viegas, 2008).
An engraving of three women affected by the dancing plague, based on an original sketch by Peter Brueghel the Elder, who apparently witnessed such a scene in 1564.
References:
Blom, J.D. (2010). A dictionary of hallucinations. New York, NY: Springer.
Golden, R.M. (Ed.) (2006). Encyclopedia of witchcraft: The western tradition. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio Inc.
Hecker, I.F.C. (1837). The epidemics of the Middle Ages: The dancing mania. Philadelphia, PA: Haswell, Barrington & Haswell.
Melechi, A. (2003). Fugitive minds: On madness, sleep and other twilight afflictions. London, England: Arrow Books.
O’Neill, D. (n.d.). Etiology of the dancing plague. Retrieved from http://interculture.fsu.edu/pdfs/oneill%20dancing%20plague.pdf
Tuke, D.H. (1892). A dictionary of psychological medicine. Philadelphia, PA: P. Blakiston Son & Co.
Viegas, J. (2008). 'Dancing plague' and other odd afflictions explained. Retrieved from http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/01/dancing-death-mystery.html
Waller, J. (2009). Looking back: dancing plagues and mass hysteria. The Psychologist 22, 7: 644-647.
Blom, J.D. (2010). A dictionary of hallucinations. New York, NY: Springer.
Golden, R.M. (Ed.) (2006). Encyclopedia of witchcraft: The western tradition. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio Inc.
Hecker, I.F.C. (1837). The epidemics of the Middle Ages: The dancing mania. Philadelphia, PA: Haswell, Barrington & Haswell.
Melechi, A. (2003). Fugitive minds: On madness, sleep and other twilight afflictions. London, England: Arrow Books.
O’Neill, D. (n.d.). Etiology of the dancing plague. Retrieved from http://interculture.fsu.edu/pdfs/oneill%20dancing%20plague.pdf
Tuke, D.H. (1892). A dictionary of psychological medicine. Philadelphia, PA: P. Blakiston Son & Co.
Viegas, J. (2008). 'Dancing plague' and other odd afflictions explained. Retrieved from http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/01/dancing-death-mystery.html
Waller, J. (2009). Looking back: dancing plagues and mass hysteria. The Psychologist 22, 7: 644-647.
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