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HISTORY
The Plague That Made People Dance Themselves to Death
Frau Troffea of medieval Europe and the history of the dancing plague
Europe in the medieval age was one to talk about, many diseases developed into epidemics, and the cures the higher-ups suggested as solutions were as dramatic as fiction.
Many plagues, from chickenpox to the bubonic black death, have been documented in history, and one of the most fascinating plagues is the one brought about by Frau Troffea — the dancing plague.
Frau Troffea and the Dancing Plague
In July 1518, a popular German, Frau Troffea, mysteriously became the queen of solo dancing in Strasbourg, in France. One day, she stepped out of her home and on her way back, she roamed the small streets of the city dancing to no music of any sort. Rest assured, the people thought she was overjoyed for something that might have happened to her.
However, when she arrived home to her husband while romping to her mental beats, she drifted to sleep only to wake up to begin her surplus dancing parade again. The streets heard and spoke of her, they gathered her stage as she wailed as a result of her bleeding feet which no one seemed to notice. They even joined her to dance — swirling and turning to absolutely nothing. For a week, the city was in disarray from all the spontaneous gyrations that hyped the lady.
She had danced herself to death and no one knew why. The possible cause was exhaustion from her dancing gyrations.
The Dancing Plague passed down to Strasbourgeois
Not long after Lady Frau passed away, the people of Strasbourg took on dancing. Their solo-dancing amidst the streets concerned the authorities. By August 1518, over 400 Strasbourgeois danced their feet to terror. There were wails and screams of pain, regardless…
