Struck by a mysterious illness, he dances until he dies. But what is this strange epidemic that hit Strasbourg in 1518? For several weeks, inexplicably, many residents began dancing frantically without stopping—until exhaustion, and sometimes even death.
Even today, the mystery surrounding the origins of this condition, known as the “dancing plague” or “St. Vitus’ dance,” remains unsolved. Here’s what we know.
It all began in Strasbourg on July 14, 1518. The heat overwhelmed a population already weakened by a famine that had lasted for three years.
And yet, despite the temperature, a woman suddenly began dancing feverishly, alone in the middle of the street. According to reports from the time, her unusual movements continued without interruption for several days.
But the strangest part is that some people who crossed her path began to imitate her, as if they had suddenly been infected by this dancing fever.
The afflicted danced day and night, and according to some accounts, several died from exhaustion. In any case, around ten new people were affected each day, and after a month, between 200 and 400 people were dancing uncontrollably in the streets.
While medical authorities encouraged the sick to keep dancing to sweat out the illness, the clergy urged them to go on pilgrimages. Unfortunately, all these treatments proved ineffective.
More than 500 years later, no explanation has reached a consensus among experts. Some have suggested ergotism—poisoning from contaminated rye—which can cause hallucinations and convulsions. However, this theory has since been largely dismissed.
Today, others believe that the extreme stress caused by harsh living conditions, famine, and disease in Alsace may have triggered a collective psychological breakdown, resulting in a form of mass hysteria.
In the end, a few weeks after the first case, as summer came to an end, the epidemic gradually faded away, taking with it the secret of its origin.
