The Mysterious Dancing Plague of 1518 | When People Danced to Their Deaths (YouTube Script)
If there were a list of the most bizarre epidemics of the medieval era, the dancing plague would definitely make the list. It brings to mind the popular saying “dance until we drop” but in this case, there wasn’t a premeditated decision to dance, and of course, the people of Strasbourg did not set out to dance until they literally dropped.
The people worked hard but had little or nothing to show for it. They had their hands full trying to survive. So it wasn’t like the citizens of Strasbourg were an idle pleasure-seeking lot who spent their free time hosting dance parties.
This makes one wonder how the bustling city of Strasbourg became the stage of an involuntary dance party that lasted nearly two months.