BETA
Chapter 1
The first steps in Strasbourg
Chapter 2
The city's bizarre cure
Chapter 3
Searching for a cause
Chapter 4
A history of dancing manias
YOUR GOAL
Master of The dancing plague of 1518
Ch 3 · Searching for a cause
misslily Tap the boogie bugs to discover what triggered the bizarre 1518 dancing plague.
misslily The Dancing Plague of 1518
They built a wooden stage to cure the endless dance!
misslily Modern historians believe the plague was a psychological reaction to extreme stress.
misslily Some modern scientists propose that the dancers were poisoned by a toxic fungus.
Fun Fact
Red shoes: Priests at the shrine of Saint Vitus put red shoes on the dancers' feet to help cure them.
Glossary
mass hysteria (noun)
A condition affecting a group of people, characterized by excitement, anxiety, or irrational behavior. Historian John Waller argued this psychological phenomenon triggered the uncontrollable Strasbourg epidemic in July 1518.
A condition affecting a group of people, characterized by excitement, anxiety, or irrational behavior. Historian John Waller argued this psychological phenomenon triggered the uncontrollable Strasbourg epidemic in July 1518.
Quiz
What color were the special shoes given to the dancers at the Saint Vitus shrine?
Quiz
What is the name of the toxic grain fungus sometimes blamed for the dancing plague?
Quiz
What is the modern psychological term for a contagious physical reaction to extreme stress?