Jig of the Damned: The Dancing Plague of 1518 | 358

This week on Hysteria 51, we're time-traveling back to 1518, and trust us, it's not for the mead or the minstrels! We're diving feet first into one of history's most baffling mysteries – the Dancing Plague of 1518. Imagine this: one day, you're baking bread, and the next, you're busting moves in the streets of Strasbourg without a stop button!Join us as we shimmy through the theories – from mass hysteria to ergot-fueled rye parties, and even a supernatural dance-off. Was it a curse from St. Vitus? A case of medieval Footloose? Or perhaps, an elaborate 16th-century flash mob gone incredibly wrong? We'll explore the eerie, the bizarre, and the (unintentionally) hilarious side of this historical head-scratcher. Did the authorities try to cure it with more dancing? Spoiler alert: Yes, they did, and let's just say, their problem-solving skills were... unique.WebsitesDancing Plague Wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518Dancing Mania Wiki - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_maniavSocial Phenomenon Wiki - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_phenomenonThe Public Domain Review - https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/the-dancing-plague-of-1518/The Lancet - https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(09)60386-X/fulltextScience Direct - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160932708000379History Skills - https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/year-8/dancing-plague/Musical Credit"Anxiety" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022Our Sponsors:* Check out Mint Mobile: mintmobile.com/hysteria* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com/* Go to badlandsranch.com/HYSTERIA to get up to 50% off your regular-priced dog food order with a 90-day money-back guarantee.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy