The Dancing Plague of 1518

In the summer of 1518, a woman stepped into the streets of Strasbourg and began to dance. She could not stop. Days passed, then weeks, as dozens joined her—arms flailing, feet bleeding, bodies collapsing. Some danced to their deaths.

What unfolded was a mass affliction no one could explain—blamed at turns on cursed saints, overheated blood, or collective sin. Physicians prescribed more dancing. Musicians were hired. The rhythm spread.

This is not a legend. It was recorded by city councils, chroniclers, and physicians alike. And then, almost as suddenly as it began, the plague faded into silence—leaving only the record.

Vault reopens that file.