Dancing mania  

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-{{Template}}'''Dancing mania''' is the name given to a phenomenon that occurred primarily in mainland [[Europe]] from the [[14th century]] through to the [[17th century]], in which groups of people would dance through the streets of towns or cities, sometimes foaming at the mouth or [[glossolalia|speaking in tongues]], until they collapsed from exhaustion. The first major outbreak of the mania was in [[Aachen]], [[Germany]], on June 24th, [[1374]]. The dancers went through the streets screaming of wild visions, and even continued to writhe and twist after they collapsed from exhaustion. The dancing quickly caught on, and spread rapidly throughout France and the [[Low Countries]].+{{Template}}
 +'''Dancing mania''' (also known as '''dancing plague''', '''choreomania''', '''St John's Dance''' and, historically, '''St. Vitus' Dance''') was a [[social phenomenon]] that occurred primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. It involved groups of people [[dancing]] [[erratic]]ally, sometimes thousands at a time. The [[mania]] affected men, women, and children, who danced until they collapsed from exhaustion. One of the first major outbreaks was in [[Aachen]], Germany, in 1374, and it quickly spread throughout Europe; one particularly notable outbreak occurred in [[Dancing Plague of 1518|Strasbourg in 1518]].
-The mania reached its peak in [[1418]] in [[Strasbourg]]. At at least one point, so many people had either been afflicted with the dancing mania, or caught up in the dancing, or were trying to give assistance, or simply watching the events unfold, that the town was brought to a complete halt.+Affecting thousands of people across several centuries, dancing mania was not an isolated event, and was well documented in contemporary reports. It was nevertheless poorly understood, and remedies were based on guesswork. Generally, musicians accompanied dancers, to help ward off the mania, but this tactic sometimes backfired by encouraging more to join in. There is no consensus among modern-day scholars as to the cause of dancing mania.
 +The several theories proposed range from religious cults being behind the processions to people dancing to relieve themselves of stress and put the poverty of the period out of their minds. It is, however, thought to be as a [[mass psychogenic illness]] in which the occurrence of similar physical symptoms, with no known physical cause, affect a large group of people as a form of social influence.
 +==See also==
 +*[[Danse Macabre]]
 +*[[Mass hysteria]]
 +*[[Tarantism]]
 +*[[Dancing Plague of 1518]]
 +*[[History of mental disorders]]
 +*[[Tanganyika laughter epidemic]]
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Dancing mania (also known as dancing plague, choreomania, St John's Dance and, historically, St. Vitus' Dance) was a social phenomenon that occurred primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. It involved groups of people dancing erratically, sometimes thousands at a time. The mania affected men, women, and children, who danced until they collapsed from exhaustion. One of the first major outbreaks was in Aachen, Germany, in 1374, and it quickly spread throughout Europe; one particularly notable outbreak occurred in Strasbourg in 1518.

Affecting thousands of people across several centuries, dancing mania was not an isolated event, and was well documented in contemporary reports. It was nevertheless poorly understood, and remedies were based on guesswork. Generally, musicians accompanied dancers, to help ward off the mania, but this tactic sometimes backfired by encouraging more to join in. There is no consensus among modern-day scholars as to the cause of dancing mania.

The several theories proposed range from religious cults being behind the processions to people dancing to relieve themselves of stress and put the poverty of the period out of their minds. It is, however, thought to be as a mass psychogenic illness in which the occurrence of similar physical symptoms, with no known physical cause, affect a large group of people as a form of social influence.

See also




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