A deadly plague that makes people dance for no reason

But maybe not many people know that the flashmob sensation is more or less inspired by the strange incident that hit Strasbourg, a small city in France, in 1518. Instead of being a popular entertainment, this “flashmob” phenomenon actually made many people fall. met his end after dancing for no reason. This phenomenon is referred to as The Dancing Plague.

The Dancing Plague, a strange plague that makes people dance for no reason

In mid-July 1518 in the city of Strasbourg, France, a woman known as Frau Troffea suddenly felt an indisputable urge to dance in the middle of the street, without any reason. Frau Troffea was still dancing non-stop until a few days later. Within a week, the plague "infected" the nearly 100 people who also followed in Frau Troffea's footsteps experiencing the irresistible urge to suddenly dance. In August, this outbreak affected as many as 400 people to dance non-stop and without cause in the middle of the bustle of Strasbourg.

Local officials announced that this plague of dancing people was caused by "hot blood" disease. But instead of ordering the healer to prescribe medicine to stop the bleeding, they ordered the “dancer” group to continue dancing. The people stricken with this plague were gathered at the city hall to dance to their heart's content. Even the government decided to build a big stage to accommodate those who couldn't stop dancing.

The authorities do this because they believe that these mobs of people dancing for no reason can only stop if they end up getting tired of dancing all day and night. Professional dancers and musical accompaniment teams are also hired to keep them dancing. But the opposite happened. Many of these impromptu dancers died from extreme fatigue, strokes and heart attacks.

Interestingly, the Dancing Plague phenomenon in Strasbourg is not the first time. There were ten dancing plagues that occurred before 1518. One of them hit cities in Belgium in 1374, which also claimed many lives.

What causes this plague of people to dance incessantly and without cause?

The physicians and doctors of his day suspected that this plague of dancing people was caused by the poisoning of the psychotropic fungus ergot, which grows on the stalks of wheat. But this idea was quickly dismissed. After research, ergot mushrooms can trigger delusions and seizures, two characteristics that appear in these impromptu dancers. However, the ergot fungus also cuts off the blood supply to the arms and legs, which makes coordinated movements such as dancing difficult.

Others suspect that these people performed certain cult rituals. But this theory was also debunked, as the victims showed no genuine desire to dance. While dancing, they scream for help, expressing their suffering, and their desire to stop - but they are helpless. Moreover, there was no suggestion from any authorities to try to treat these people in cultic ways.

No one knows for sure the cause of this outbreak until it finally stopped completely by itself in early September that year. However, modern researchers have a strong suspicion that the psychogenic mass syndrome (MPI) is what caused many people to dance incessantly and without cause in 1518. Mass hysteria is a manifestation of mass hysteria that is often preceded by extreme psychological pressure.

And sure enough. The inhabitants of Strasbourg at that time were plagued by extreme hunger, extreme heat, snowstorms and hail, and the drought of agricultural products which had a major impact on the welfare of its people. Apart from extreme environmental conditions, they also live in the midst of the widespread spread of many diseases, such as variola smallpox, syphilis and leprosy.

Researchers and historians believe that it was this series of tormenting tragedies that ultimately fueled the MPI. Mass hysteria spreads rapidly when triggered by great stress, and often causes fainting, nausea and shortness of breath. Severe stress can also ravage the mind and create hallucinations.