Dancing Plague of 1518

Puffer Fish

Puffer Fish

Well-Known Member
Man ... I lover reading about history ... and finding interesting things ...



The Dancing Plague (or Dance Epidemic) of 1518 was a case of dancing mania that occurred in Strasbourg, France (then part of the Holy Roman Empire) in July 1518. Numerous people took to dancing for days without rest, and, over the period of about one month, some of the people died from heart attack, stroke, or exhaustion.

Events

The outbreak began in July 1518, when a woman, Frau Troffea, began to dance fervently in a street in Strasbourg.[1] This lasted somewhere between four to six days. Within a week, 34 others had joined, and within a month, there were around 400 dancers. Some of these people eventually died from heart attack, stroke, or exhaustion.[1]
Historical documents, including "physician notes, cathedral sermons, local and regional chronicles, and even notes issued by the Strasbourg city council" are clear that the victims danced.[1] It is not known why these people danced to their deaths.
As the dancing plague worsened, concerned nobles sought the advice of local physicians, who ruled out astrological and supernatural causes, instead announcing that the plague was a "natural disease" caused by "hot blood." However, instead of prescribing bleeding, authorities encouraged more dancing, in part by opening two guildhalls and a grain market, and even constructing a wooden stage. The authorities did this because they believed that the dancers would only recover if they danced continuously night and day. To increase the effectiveness of the cure, authorities even paid for musicians to keep the afflicted moving.[2] Some of the dancers were taken to a shrine, where they sought a cure for their affliction.
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Modern explanations

Ergotism
It has been suggested that the cause of the plague was ergotism, which results from consuming ergot-laced bread. Ingestion of ergot, a psychotropic mold that grows on rye, can lead to delirium, hallucinations, and seizures, as well as other symptoms. While today this is called ergotism, contemporaneously it was known as "Saint Anthony's fire."
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;)

Darth, what a wicked setting for a MOVIE
NDA ...(your genius would be welcome) we need a well written script
ANC ... we need your wisdom on the back end ...(wanna direct ?)
BBQ .. graphic design/CGI recreating France in 1518 on lsd ... fun ??

Who else wants in ... Daath/Verde ... would love to hear your visionary spinn ... Crypt your 'involvement in this one' ??

lol

read more ...

ψυχή
 
Daath

Daath

.
What a crazy sight that would have been to see. I'm thinking M. Night Shyamalan to direct. :)

555. Warrior King.
 
DarthD3vl

DarthD3vl

Well-Known Member
I have never ever heard of this puffer..... its very interesting , i will have to delve deeper into this story soon.


side thought; ergot, seems to have been responisble for alot of strange things in our history,liek this dancing plauge, plausible cause of the salem witch trials,

really it seems like it was teasing humanity, making its marks in our history, our evolution, speaking to us, saying hey im here, notice me, use me, make something with me....
 
Karmapuff

Karmapuff

Well-Known Member
interesting stuff, I have always wanted to make a movie expressing my creativeness and if its involving drugs and history I'm in!!!
 
R

Rodart Cockburn

New Member
I always thought that there is an excellent allegory in drug use somewhere. Obviously I haven't lived long enough to craft a visionary fictional narrative but I am always trying to piece it together.

Peace
 
Puffer Fish

Puffer Fish

Well-Known Member
Daath said:
What a crazy sight that would have been to see. I'm thinking M. Night Shyamalan to direct. :)

555. Warrior King.
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And what would YOU like to do ??

;)

I have never ever heard of this puffer..... its very interesting , i will have to delve deeper into this story soon.


side thought; ergot, seems to have been responisble for alot of strange things in our history,liek this dancing plauge, plausible cause of the salem witch trials,

really it seems like it was teasing humanity, making its marks in our history, our evolution, speaking to us, saying hey im here, notice me, use me, make something with me....
Click to expand...
Brother the plot is right before your eyes ....
 
Gold medal bong hits

Gold medal bong hits

Active Member
Sounds like a rave from the 1500s. Only that if you stop dancing you die and you keep dancing you die.

Off subject puffer I like a lot of the stuff you post. Would you mind sharing some of the alerts that you have? I was going to set mine up but really did not have a clue what I should put.
:clap:
 
Daath

Daath

.
Puffer Fish said:
And what would YOU like to do ??

;)



Brother the plot is right before your eyes ....
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Dear friend, I am flattered. Was never really the creative type, though. I don't know how I would be able to contribute.

Had another thought on this subject last night. It's strange that they would keep dancing for weeks on end. One would think the effects of the drug would have worn off a lot quicker than that. Unless they ate the poisoned food while they danced, or took breaks to eat and drink. Would a person really keep dancing by the recommendation of their physician for such a prolonged period of time? I might go all night, but after a while I'd just be like, "Fuck you. I'm going home."
 
Daath

Daath

.
Well the article states "authorities," which I guess could be religious or otherwise. Also upon re-reading, it says they would dance for a few days at a time. I'm guessing they would do so until the effects were gone, and were too physically exhausted to continue. They would probably go home, sleep, get stoned again, and start the process all over. Definitely not the recipe for good clean fun or healthy living. But, what else could one do with the limited knowledge and resources of the time?

Once again I say, I can't imagine what it would have been like to live through periods in history such as this. It would be quite frightening I would think. Not knowing what was causing your affliction. Possibly thinking demons were possessing the souls of others, or even your own.
 
Puffer Fish

Puffer Fish

Well-Known Member
The particular event in history .... could be used as a backdrop to a more mysterious and sinister story ... ;)
What if the event .... was nothing more than an unholy experiment (planned by our mysterious third party).... perhaps a diversion .... to occupy our hero ? Perhaps his own bidding ... in a ploy to open a dimension ....

:)

(I am just planting seeds here ...)
 
The Cryptkeeper

The Cryptkeeper

Well-Known Member
Puffer Fish said:
The particular event in history .... could be used as a backdrop to a more mysterious and sinister story ... ;)
What if the event .... was nothing more than an unholy experiment (planned by our mysterious third party).... perhaps a diversion .... to occupy our hero ?
:)

(I am just planting seeds here ...)
Click to expand...
:lol:
I think YOU'RE more sinister then most people realize.
:lol:
 
Puffer Fish

Puffer Fish

Well-Known Member
HMM ... If you would like to discuss ME ... you would have to define the term sinister .... as you use it.
As I have done no harm to you.
No spells have been casted.

:)
 
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