In 1518, Strasbourg witnessed one of the most unusual and deadly events in medieval Europe: a dance plague. It all began when a woman named Frau Troffea stepped into the streets and started dancing uncontrollably. This seemingly harmless act soon spiraled into a citywide crisis. Within days, dozens of people joined her, dancing in the streets to the point of exhaustion. The phenomenon spread rapidly, with up to 400 people eventually caught in its grip. What began as a bizarre spectacle quickly became deadly, with reports of up to 15 deaths per day due to exhaustion and other complications. Dance Until You Drop: The Mysterious Case of Medieval Dance Mania Bizarre and Horrifying Cases of Mass Hysteria Through History As the situation escalated, the city council sought answers. Medieval physicians diagnosed the dancers with "hot blood," a condition believed to cause madness by overheating the brain. The prescribed remedy was more dancing, which only worsened the problem. Musicians were brought in to keep the dancers moving, but the strategy backfired, attracting more people to the streets. Read moreSection: NewsGeneralVideosHistoryRead Later