Deadly Dancing Plague of 1518

Come back with us to a Medieval leper colony.What was life really like for patients inside the gates? What did it mean when the 'leper bell' rang? And what happened at a 'living funeral'?Join Anthony and Maddy as they separate popular myth from fact, taking you through a typical ...  Show more

The Victorians had a lot of twisted fascinations, but their fixation on Ancient Egypt might be the darkest of the lot.From 'mummy unwrapping parties' (yes, really), to gothic stories of romances with mummified bodies and beetles that came to life.Was this a desire to connect with ...  Show more

<div> In 1518, the peasants of Strasbourg, France began dancing and couldn’t stop. Because of it, 15 people were dying per day. Historians don’t know what caused it, but they all agree that it absolutely happened. Today, Bailey tells the puzzling story of a mysterious Dancing Pla ...  Show more

The way we die has been utterly transformed. There have been around 10,000 generations of human beings, but only in the last 3 or 4 have infectious diseases not been an expected and accepted cause of death. What drove the most deadly infectious diseases? Was technological progr ...  Show more

Uncover the bizarre 1518 outbreak in Strasbourg where hundreds danced uncontrollably for days. Was it a disease, mass hysteria, or something darker? Find the full transcript of this episode and learn more about it on https://englishpluspodcast.com/the-dancing-plague-of-1518-when- ...  Show more

Whether it's a declaration of love, anger or rebellion against the government, graffiti can give us incredible insight into the social history of everyday people.

By the 18th century it's recognised by authorities a serious social problem and a threat to their positi ...