Intermediate Reading Exercise

The Medieval Dancing Fever

History is full of strange and bizarre events, but few are as mysterious as the 'dancing epidemic' of 1518. This strange phenomenon took place in the city of Strasbourg, which is now part of France. It all began in July of that year when a woman known as Frau Troffea stepped into the street and began to dance. She didn't stop. She danced silently and with great energy, and historical records say she continued for nearly a week.

What started with one woman soon became a much wider problem. Within a week, more than 30 other people had joined Frau Troffea, dancing uncontrollably in the city streets. By August, the number of dancers had reportedly grown to around 400. The city authorities were extremely concerned. After consulting with local physicians, they reached a surprising conclusion: the dancing was not caused by supernatural forces, but by 'hot blood'.

The recommended cure was even more surprising: the authorities believed the victims needed to dance the fever away. To help with this 'cure', the city council took some extraordinary steps. They cleared a space for the dancers in the city market, built a large wooden stage, and even hired professional musicians to provide a constant beat. The authorities hoped that by encouraging non-stop dancing, the people would get tired and the epidemic would end. If they had understood the real problem, they would have acted very differently.

Unfortunately, this cure had tragic consequences. The non-stop physical activity was too much for many of the dancers. With no rest and little food or water, many of them collapsed. It is reported that up to 15 people per day died from strokes, heart attacks, and complete exhaustion.

Realising their plan had failed disastrously, the authorities changed their strategy and banned most public dancing. The sick were then taken to a shrine to be prayed for. The epidemic finally ended a few weeks later, in early September.

So what was the real cause of this bizarre phenomenon? Modern historians have several theories, but no one knows for sure. One explanation is that the dancers had accidentally eaten a type of poisonous fungus that grows on rye bread, which can cause muscle spasms. However, this doesn't explain why the dancing was so coordinated.

A more popular theory today is that it was a case of 'mass hysteria' or mass psychogenic illness. The people of Strasbourg had been suffering from extreme famine and disease in the years before 1518. It's possible that this extreme psychological stress caused a kind of collective trance.

The dancing may have been a desperate, subconscious reaction to the terrible conditions they were living in. Whatever the true cause, the dancing fever of 1518 remains one of history's most fascinating unsolved mysteries.