Location: Strasbourg, Alsace (Holy Roman Empire, now France -1518) đ«đ·
Story:It began with one woman, Frau Troffea, who started dancing fervently in the street. She didn't stop. Within a week, 34 others had joined her. Within a month, 400 people were dancing uncontrollably, many dying from heart attacks, strokes, or exhaustion. City authorities, believing it to be a "hot blood" disease, prescribed more dancing, even building stages and hiring musicians. đ
Twist:Modern historians and physicians believe it was a case of mass psychogenic illness (mass hysteria), likely triggered by extreme stress. The region was suffering from famine, disease, and profound religious superstition. The psychological breakdown manifested as compulsive dancing, perhaps inspired by the fear of a curse from Saint Vitus. It remains one of the most bizarre and well-documented cases of communal psychological trauma in history. đđ»