Episode 84: The Dancing Plague of 1518

March 25

33 mins

View Transcript

Episode Description

In the sweltering heat of summer, during July of 1518, the city of Strasbourg was consumed by a plague…just not necessarily the kind you may be thinking of. After a lady named Frau Troffea began to spontaneously dance in the streets, this compulsion to move soon spread throughout the city, and before long hundreds of residents had been swept up by this ‘dancing mania’. Though it sounds idyllic in theory, the reality was very different, and the Strasbourg ‘dancing plague’ soon turned deadly. But what caused this mass display to take hold in the first place? In today’s episode, Chyaz explores the theories that have been presented over the centuries, and offers up a perspective of her own too…

Mental health resources UK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mental health resources Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unitedgmh.org/support/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Where to find us!

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.instagram.com/ThingsGetWeirdPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook (Main Page): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook (Discussion Group): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/groups/thingsareabouttogetweird/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thingsareabouttogetweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📧 Email: thingsgetweirdpodcast@gmail.com

Source Shout Outs

BBC Article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20220512-the-people-who-danced-themselves-to-death

Smithsonian Magazine Article: