Dancing Plague of 1518

The Dancing Plague of 1518: Choreomania, Frau Troffea, and the Psychology Behind a Medieval MysteryPrimary keywords: Dancing Plague of 1518, choreomania, Frau Troffea, medieval medicine, Saint Vitus, psychological phenomenonStrasbourg, summer 1518: a woman named Frau Troffea stepped into the streets and began to dance. She did not stop for hours. By week’s end, dozens joined her. Within a month, the count swelled to hundreds—men, women, and even children convulsing in public squares, feet bloodied, bodies…