I'm currently reading "The Dancing Plague" by John Waller. So far it's a great book about a peculiar event in history; The Dancing Plague of 1518. This was recorded as being started by Frau Troffea and took place in Strasbourg.

I'm about half-way through the book and have learned about the corruption of the early Catholic church, the diseases that plagued the people, and their generally horrible living conditions. I've also been presented with many of the theories people of that time had regarding this mysterious "plague." In general it was thought to be caused by St. Vitus who was lashing out his wrath upon the sinners of Strasbourg. One particular chronicler of this event, Paracelsus, was under the impression that Frau Troffea began dancing to make a fool out of her husband and then women throughout followed her actions to also spite their husbands. Paracelsus was also known for having a chip on his shoulder regarding women. Another, more modern, theory that has been discussed is that of ergotism. Waller appears to so far believe it was the result of mass hysteria and psychological distress due to the general atmosphere of Strasbourg.

I've got about 120 pages left, so I'm sure there will be a lot more light shed on the event. I'll have to do a final update once I finish it.

 

St. Vitus  

 

Paracelsus