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Week 12 [12-18.06.2017] Choreomania


One day in July 1518, Mrs. Troffe began to dance fervently on a street of Strasbourg. Within a month, about 400 citizens (mainly woman) joined her. Some of them died from heart attack, exhaustation or stroke. People were dancing to death and it is written in all historical documents. The reason of their behaviour is unknown. Those days, city treated victims as ill and heal their illness by providing them musicians and stage. It was believed that they needed to dance instantly because of “hot blood”.



It was the best example of social phenomenon that had been happening between XIV and XVII centuries in Western Europe. It is called Dancing Mania and its reasoning is poorly understood to this days. But there are many theories explaining it.



Firstly, christens believed it could be caused by possession of demons. But more likely it could be symptoms of psychological stress. In Middle Ages, anyone couldn’t feel safe. Wars, plagues of illnesses and hanger. The fear was so intense that they need to find a way to relive. The dance was the way.
Secondly, it could be a part of foreign cults. So the dance was in purpose. In the theory, it is pointed out that in Europe expanded not only Christianism but also other cults gained followers. Theirs rituals had stayed unknown for uninitiated so others could interpret the actions as maniac dance.
Thirdly, there could be physical illness reasoning the behaviour. First of them is ergotism. It is caused by long-term ergot poisoning, produced by the Claviceps purpurea fungus that infects rye and other cereals. Cereals was stored in not sterile circumstances and because of death people eat even infected food. Symptoms are painful seizures and spasms, diarrhea, paresthesias, itching, mental effects including mania or psychosis, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Some of them could look like a dance.
Any theory based on physical illness are probable only because of similarity of their symptoms to dance movements. Other possible reasons are epilepsy, Sydenham's chorea, Huntington's chorea and spider bite.



Summarizing, choreomania could be caused by demons, psychological stress, foreign cults or congenital or acquired diseases. All though, Dance Mania could be a result of many factors. Some of victims could be ill and encouraged others to act like them. If it was started by cult’s followers, it could be adopted by citizens who wasn’t conscious about rituals. The phenomenon is visible to this days in European culture by theme of dance macabre and an idea of musical therapy.
1.       Have you ever heard about Dancing Mania?
2.       Which theory about it source do you find convincing?
3.       Do you see any other influences in European culture of this phenomenon?
“Dancing Mania”, by Leah Esterianna & Richard the Poor of Ely

Source:


Comments

Unknown said…
Well, never heard of it. Sounds funny. Oh and it brings to mind all those often singin and dancing in Disney movies, main character uncontrollably dancing because something good or really bad happened/is going to happen (with some side characters following). Could it be that Disney is strying to start a cult? Very interesting.
Magdalena Popek said…
I've never heard of Dancing Mania but it sounds really funny. I find the theory about stress and not feeling safe the most probable and convincing.
Unknown said…
Never heard about it but it's strange. In my opinion it was caused by some disease.
Unknown said…
Oh, interesting, I like such articles. I have never heard about it. It really reminds me those musical indian films, when characters accidentally start to dance and sing. The theory about psychological stress sounds quite probable. Also I have read that it is much easier to do something in a free way when you are the part of the crowd. Because of the shared responsibility - you are not the only freak anymore. So, for example, if I was in a proper mood, walking down the street and could see the flashmob - dancing people, I would join with pleasure, but I wouldn't start I by myself:)
Unknown said…
I've never heard about of Dancing Mania before. I guess, it could be some kind of phycological illness. Or maybe it was some cult (which can be considered such as illness in some kind). I don't think healthy people will start dancing after watching how other people are dying from such dance.
Andrzej Gulak said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said…
I didn't assume something like this could have happened some time ago. It sounds quite strange. I don't believe that women did it to put her mind at rest from war etc - it simply wasn't appriopriate time for single women to show off like this in public. The most realistic in my opinion is the theory about Mrs. Troffe having been infected by some rare (or common for that times) disease.
Well, I heard this story and read about this phenomena. I agree with historians and believe that a couple of cold and wet summers caused mold to grow on the rye grain that was planted in Europe at the time. Lacking other food sources the peasants had no choice but to eat the contaminated grain. This mold is the source for LSD and the rest you can surmise. By the way it was also pandemic in mos of Northern Europe, not just France.
Unknown said…
Probably I have never heard about dance mania. Of course I know Dance Macabre. The most propable theory is with illneses or spoiled food. Of course it is not by Demons. Also it is very likely that this is some culture. Maybe this is some sect. We have had cases of mass deaths by sect. At this moment I don't see other influence in European culture.
KamilG said…
I've never heard about dance mania. I think the most possible explanation of this phenomena can be illness. Then, in Middle-Age, people believed in demons, but now we know that for example epilepsy attack causes strange movements.
Unknown said…
Yes, I've heard of it and sometime ago I was reading a lot about it and thank you for this article! There is never too much knowledge!
I haven't heard about dancing mania and I can't say why this happen. It could be caused by some disease or maybe it was connected to some cult. I think that we will never truly uncover the whole story because it happen many centuries ago and from that time we could not find any more sources to understand this phenomenon.
I never heard about Dancing Mania. I think the most possible cause of this is some kind of disease. I can't find any culture impact of this phenomenon. I only heard about Dance macabre, but it is related to something else, as far as I know.
I've never heard of it, but sounds funny. I mean, like people with tourette symptoms this is nothing to make fun of, but I must admit I smiled for a second.

Seems like there is never enough of diseases...
Adam Paśniczek said…
Yes, I have heard about this phenomenon. It looks very strange if we look at it. I never wondered what was the purpose of this dancing. I think the cause of this behaviour is to be a health. In that time people invent many different ways to recover for example bloodletting. Nowadays I did not see any influence of that cult. It’s gone over time probably because people invented other treatments.
Lol, really nice and weird topic. No, I've never heard about "Dancing Mania", it sounds quite interesting. I have no idea what could be the source of such behaviour. My guess is that it is an effect of some physical illness, regarding that "People were dancing to death". I cannot imagine to be involved in any kind of cult so much to be able to do such things.
Ihor Ahnianikov said…
Wow, thanks for an interesting topic - I have never heard about this phenomenon. The story itself reminded me of Forrest Gump running without a reason, when he got a lot of followers and some kind of a cult:)

I think that it was caused by some psychosis that you can experience in the religious cult or the reason was not mental - it was some kind of illness causing seizures.
Bartosz Łyżwa said…
What an interesting article. I've never heard about dancing mania. i don't know what Mrs. Troffe had in his mind but I'm sure he was original because of every people that were imitating his dance :D
Well, it is first time when I read about dancing mania. I find it very interesting - thank you!
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