The Dance of Death in Strasbourg: The Strange Plague That Made People Dance to Their Doom by Brooke Jasmine Woodcock
The Day the Streets Started Moving
In the summer of 1518, the streets of Strasbourg became the site of one of history’s most bizarre and haunting events—the dancing plague. It began in July when a woman known only as Frau Troffea stepped into the street and began to dance. She moved without music, her limbs flailing uncontrollably as though possessed. Hours turned to days, and still she could not stop. Within a week, dozens had joined her. By the end of the month, more than 400 people were caught up in the inexplicable frenzy. Eyewitnesses described the scene as both tragic and surreal. The afflicted were drenched in sweat, their faces pale and twisted in agony, yet they danced on, unable to resist the invisible force driving their bodies to the brink. Many collapsed from exhaustion, and some danced until their hearts gave out.
Danse Macabre pictured in Tallinn, symbolic in modern day imagery of envisaging the 1518 Strasbourg Dance Plague.
Music, Mayhem, and Madness and Unravelling the Mystery.
Strasbourg’s authorities were baffled. In their desperation, they turned to what seemed like a logical solution: let the dancers dance it out. Believing the mania needed to run its course, city leaders hired musicians and cleared public halls to give the dancers more space. Instead of calming the afflicted, the music only seemed to feed the frenzy. The dancing intensified, and so did the death toll. Chroniclers noted that some dancers moved as if in a trance, their limbs jerking violently, while others cried out for relief from a torment they could not escape. The chaos of the dancing plague struck a city already weakened by hardship. Like much of Europe, Strasbourg had suffered through recurring outbreaks of the Black Death, widespread famine, and grinding poverty. People lived in constant fear of disease and divine punishment, creating a fertile ground for hysteria to take root. The dancing plague of 1518 was not an isolated event. Similar outbreaks of compulsive dancing, known as choreomania, had been recorded across medieval Europe. Yet the scale and intensity of the Strasbourg episode set it apart. Theories about the cause of the dancing plague abound. One explanation is ergot poisoning, caused by consuming rye contaminated with ergot fungus. Ergotism can trigger hallucinations, muscle spasms, and convulsions—symptoms consistent with the dancers’ behaviour. However, this theory fails to explain the widespread and synchronized nature of the dancing. A more compelling explanation comes from modern historians like John Waller, who argue that the outbreak was a form of mass psychogenic illness. In a time of immense social and psychological stress, the collective trauma of the Black Death, famine, and poverty may have caused the mind and body to respond in unexplainable ways. Waller suggests that the dancing plague was “a desperate, subconscious reaction to a world collapsing around them” (A Time to Dance, A Time to Die, 2009). Religious superstition may have also played a role. In medieval Europe, it was widely believed that Saint Vitus, the patron saint of dancers, could curse sinners with uncontrollable movement. Many may have seen the dancing plague as divine punishment, further fuelling the hysteria.
Citizens of 1518 Strasbourg with the psychogenic disorder choreomania or 'dancing plague' dancing amid graves in a churchyard.
The Haunting Legacy of 1518
By late August, the epidemic began to wane, as mysteriously as it had begun. The authorities, now convinced of the spiritual nature of the plague, organized religious processions and pilgrimages to appease Saint Vitus. The afflicted were taken to shrines where prayers were said for their recovery. Gradually, the dancing ceased, and life in Strasbourg returned to a fragile normalcy. The dancing plague of 1518 remains one of history’s great enigmas. It is a chilling reminder of how human beings can be overwhelmed by collective stress, trauma, and fear. Modern science may offer plausible explanations, but the event still carries an air of the uncanny. “The mind, when burdened by the weight of suffering, will sometimes express itself in ways that defy reason,” Waller concludes. In an age devastated by disease and famine, the sight of hundreds dancing to their doom must have been both terrifying and inexplicable. The dancing plague stands as a testament to the fragility of the human mind and the mysterious ways it can respond to adversity. Whether caused by poisoned grain, mass hysteria, or a divine curse, the dancing plague of 1518 remains a haunting episode in history—a macabre dance between despair and survival that continues to captivate us today.
About the author
Brooke is an aspiring science educator set to begin PGCE and QTS training next year, specializing in Biology for secondary and sixth form students (ages 11-18). Holding both a Master’s degree in Clinical Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Science degree, each awarded with First Class Honours, Brooke combines a strong academic foundation with a passion for interdisciplinary learning. Their dedication to excellence is further reflected in distinctions earned for diplomas in Neuropsychology and Egyptology from the Centre of Excellence. Beyond the sciences, Brooke has cultivated a deep enthusiasm for history, with particular interests in Tudor England, the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Renaissance Italy, and Medieval Europe. Their contributions to both academia and extracurricular pursuits have been recognized with the Nuffield Award in Social Sciences and the Hallam Award for outstanding involvement outside the curriculum. A former member of the British Neuroscience Group and the TSC Association, Brooke now channels her energy into her love for history and writing, contributing regularly to The Historians Magazine. When not immersed in teaching or research, she enjoys reading non-fiction historical works and exploring new avenues of historical scholarship.
