History on Fire
[RERUN] EPISODE 62: Plagues, Mystery and Dancing
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- The dancing plague of 1518 in Strasbourg shed light on a peculiar and perplexing occurrence in history.
- Efforts to stop the dancing plague included hiring musicians and creating special stages, but the exact reasons for its eventual end remain uncertain.
Deep dives
The Dancing Plague of 1518: A Mysterious Phenomenon
In the city of Strasbourg in 1518, a strange phenomenon occurred - a dancing plague. It began with a woman named Trophia who danced uncontrollably in the streets. Her dance, which seemed to be beyond her control, lasted for hours. Soon, more people joined in the dancing, and it quickly spread to about 400 individuals. The city council believed that the dancing plague was caused by overheated blood and prescribed music and dancing as a means to rid the body of this condition. However, the remedy did not work, and many of the dancers suffered from exhaustion and even died. As a result, the city council banned music and dancing, attributing the plague to divine punishment. They expelled prostitutes and put a restriction on leisure activities. Eventually, the council ordered the dancers to be taken to a shrine dedicated to St. Vitus, hoping for a remedy. Though the dancing plague eventually subsided, the exact cause and nature of this phenomenon remain a mystery.
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