The Dancing Plague of 1518: A Deadly Epidemic That Made People Dance to Death
5/11/202641 min
What would make hundreds of people dance uncontrollably for weeks, until they collapsed? In 1518, the city of Strasbourg was overtaken by one of the strangest epidemics in recorded history. It wasn’t the plague. It wasn’t war. It was dancing. Doctors prescribed more dancing. Priests blamed a curse. Musicians were hired to keep the frenzy going. And bodies began to fall.Could something like this happen again? Head over to our Hidden History YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@HiddenHistoryPod If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Hidden History to never miss an episode! Hidden History is a Rewind Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios Follow us on Social Instagram: @RewindStudios TikTok: @RewindStudios YouTube: @HiddenHistoryPod To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsHarini Bhat· Host0:00
[mysterious music] This is Rewind. Rewind. Did you know that in 1518, a European city was hit by a deadly epidemic, and the epidemic was dancing? To this day, experts still don't know why it happened, but there are plenty of theories, and today we'll unpack them all. History is so much more than a collection of stories from the past. It's full of intrigue, scandal, and mystery, and on this show, we're getting into all the questions that have yet to be answered. I'm Dr. Harini Bhat, and this is Hidden History, a Rewind original powered by Pave Studios. As a doctor of pharmacy, I am intensely curious about how the world works, whether it's through science, culture, or history. I've learned that everything is connected. If you can't find the answer, that just means you need to dig a little deeper. On this show, we're exploring real events from history that have yet to be fully explained, and examining all the different theories from science to the supernatural and everything in between. From vanished civilizations and doomsday prophecies to paranormal experiences and unexplained phenomena, I'm looking at it all, and I want you to join me. Today, I'm talking about one of the most terrifying outbreaks in history. It's not the Black Death. It's not the Spanish Flu. I'm talking about the dancing plague of 1518,