history

Why Did People Dance Nonstop in 1518?

šŸ’” 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.

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