Deadly Dancing Plague of 1518

The captain of the HMS Hermione was a sadist even by the not-very-high standards of the British Royal Navy in the 1700's. He was a prolific flogger, subjecting his crew to the cat-of-nine-tails. It was hardly a surprise when his crew rose up and mutinied. Even if the British Navy ...  Show more

In Medici Florence there were two ways of maintaining power - one was money and the other was murder. Isabella de’ Medici was the believed daughter of the Medici patriarch, a patron of the arts and a sparkling wit. But that meant nothing to her own husband, who murdered her, or h ...  Show more

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 Plague th ...  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

In 1518 a strange sight could be seen all over the town of Strasbourg. Crowds of people dancing unceasingly, unable to control their movements, seemingly heedless of their blistered and bloodied feet. As the contagious dance grew, so did the body count as the frenzied dancers suc ...  Show more

If you've ever been to a great concert or a banging dance party, then you know sometimes the spirit can overwhelm you -- you might feel compelled to dance. For most people this is a delightful experience... however, this wasn't the case for several unfortunate communities in Medi ...  Show more