effulgentpoet: history aesthetics THE DANCING PLAGUE OF 1518 The dancing plague of 1518 was a case o
effulgentpoet: history aesthetics THE DANCING PLAGUE OF 1518 The dancing plague of 1518 was a case of dancing mania that occurred in Strasbourg, Alsace, (now modern day France). Around 400 people took to dancing for days without rest and, over the period of about one month, some of those affected collapsed or even died of heart attack, stroke, or exhaustion. The outbreak began in July 1518 when a woman, Mrs. Troffea, began to dance fervently in a street in Strasbourg. Within a week, 34 others had joined, and within a month, there were around 400 dancers. As the dancing plague worsened, concerned nobles sought the advice of local physicians, who ruled out astrological and supernatural causes, instead announcing that the plague was caused by “hot blood”. Authorities encouraged more dancing, opening two guildhalls, and constructing a wooden stage, believing that the dancers would recover only if they danced continuously night and day. To increase the effectiveness of the cure, authorities even paid for musicians to keep the afflicted moving. -- source link
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