Why Did People Dance Nonstop in 1518?

💡 The Answer

• In July 1518, a woman in Strasbourg began dancing, and within days hundreds joined her.
• Some dancers collapsed from exhaustion, heart attacks, or strokes, yet others continued.
• Theories include mass hysteria induced by ergot poisoning or social stress.
• The phenomenon lasted a month and is one of history's strangest epidemics.