The Dancing Plague of 1518

In July 1518, in Strasbourg, a woman stepped into the street and began to dance.

People thought it was stress or illness. But she kept going for days. Then more people

joined her. Within a week, dozens were dancing without stopping. By the end,

the number may have reached around four hundred. Doctors at the time didn’t blame spirits

or demons. They thought the dancers had “hot blood,” so they ordered musicians

to play. That made it worse. The crowds grew, the music pushed the pace,

and people collapsed from exhaustion. No one knows the exact cause. Some think it was

mass hysteria triggered by famine, disease, and fear. Others think it