In the summer of 1518, a strange phenomenon took hold of the city of Strasbourg. It began with one woman dancing uncontrollably in the streets… and within days, dozens more had joined her. They danced for hours, then days, some collapsing from exhaustion, others allegedly dancing themselves to death. What caused this bizarre outbreak? Mass hysteria? Poisoned bread? Supernatural forces? In this episode, we dive into the mysterious and unsettling events of the Dancing Plague of 1518, one of history’s most chilling unexplained medical anomalies.
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This episode was written by Chelsea Smith and edited by Liz Silva. Theme song by High Street Music.
Episode Sources:
Dancing Plague of 1518 by Pat Bauer
The People Who 'Danced Themselves to Death' by Rosalind Jana
What Was the Dancing Plague of 1518? by Evan Andrews