Death of a Curse: The Decline of Dancing Plagues
End of the Dancing Plague
The dancing plague's last major outbreak occurred in Strasbourg in the summer of 1518, marking the end of centuries of mass outbreaks along the Rhine and Moselle rivers.
These outbreaks involved people compulsively dancing, sometimes to their death, as seen in 1374, 1463, and notably in 1518.
Over a few generations, the credibility of the deadly dancing plague diminished, eventually becoming considered unbelievable.
Despite its documented history of frightening and deadly occurrences, St. Vitus' Dance eventually disappeared from collective memory.
Explaining the Demise of St. Vitus' Dance
The decline of the dancing plague is attributed to the erosion of the beliefs that sustained it, which suggests that the phenomenon relied heavily on psychological suggestion which is unsustainable without strong belief systems.
The end of the dancing plague is intrinsically linked to the decline of medieval and early modern theology, which once provided fertile ground for such mass psychogenic phenomena.
The attacks on saint worship during the Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation actively undermined the mysticism that fueled the dancing plague.
Even figures like Martin Luther, known for his deep-seated belief in the Devil's influence, and the Catholic resurgence, couldn't revive the conditions that had sustained the dancing plague.
Demonological paranoia shifted focus to persecuting supposed witches, yet a discernible turn toward skepticism only began to take hold after the mid-17th century.
The retreat of magical beliefs relegated them to the fringes of society, seen as mere superstition, signaling a broader cultural shift.
The Role of the Scientific Revolution
Beginning in the 1540s and extending into the early 1700s, the Scientific Revolution promoted the understanding that phenomena could be dissected into cause-and-effect relationships, governed by natural laws.
This era diminished the perceived importance of mysterious forces, a view encapsulated by Isaac Newton's understanding of God as one who uses natural causes as instruments.
Newton's perspective emphasized that while God created gravity, He was not responsible for every meteor or falling apple, thus attributing events to natural rather than supernatural causes.
Social and Political Crises
Europeans grew wary of religious fervor after sectarian conflicts led to decades of warfare and economic instability in the 1600s.
The extreme forms of piety became linked to the witch hunts, which led people to doubt the existence of witches and magic.
In the aftermath of religious wars, a measured secularism arose, reducing discussions about witches, devils, and curses by saints.
Socio-Economic Changes
The expansion of farming, deforestation, urbanization, and the introduction of new technologies collectively made nature appear more predictable and controllable.
As a result, life seemed less dictated by spiritual beings, signaling a shift toward a more secular worldview.
The rise of market and industrial capitalism further demystified perceptions of the world, anchoring explanations in tangible economic forces.
Skepticism and Cultural Shift
In 1758, Cardinal Louis de Rohan, confronted by blatant superstition at the St. Vitus shrine in Saverne, prohibited votive offerings in the area.
Although his ruling was largely ignored, it signaled a change in attitudes; the chapels dedicated to St. Vitus gradually fell into disrepair by the early 19th century.
As religious fervor waned, elite culture disavowed supernaturalism, and science gained prominence, leading to the decline of St. Vitus' veneration and the associated fears of his curse.
Cardinal Rohan's skepticism underscored a deepening divide between the culture of the elite and that of the common people.
The elites dismissed what they viewed as uneducated notions of the supernatural, practicing their faith with less emotional display.
Despite ongoing pilgrimages and processions, fewer individuals attributed events to divine intervention, which caused the dancing plague to fade from cultural relevance.
Survival in Folklore
Despite its decline, the bizarre events of the 1518 dancing epidemic lived on in popular imagination.
Traces of these events may have been preserved in folklore, such as in the Grimm brothers' tale of Snow White, where the stepmother is condemned to dance to her death in red-hot iron slippers.
Similarly, Hans Christian Andersen's story, The Red Shoes, which tells of a girl punished by relentless dancing in red shoes, may also draw from the narratives of the dancing mania and the curse of St. Vitus.
Real Victims and Modern Misconceptions
The death toll from the dancing epidemics was minimal when compared to diseases like smallpox or casualties from wars.
While hundreds may have died from dancing, warfare and plague resulted in hundreds of thousands of fatalities.
However, between the 11th and 16th centuries, thousands endured the compulsion to dance.
The dancing epidemics of the medieval and early modern periods are not well understood in modern times.
Some medical writers have downplayed accounts from Strasbourg chroniclers, attributing the behavior to frontal lobe epilepsy.
However, these chroniclers provided accurate descriptions of actual events, distinguishing them from epilepsy, thereby validating their accounts.
Modern Case: Madagascar 1863
A notable instance of dancing mania occurred in Madagascar in February 1863, known as imanènjana.
Thousands engaged in hours or days of dancing, driven by the sound of drums, with many experiencing relapses after exhaustion.
Dr. Davidson reported the dancers exhibited "wild" eyes and "an indescribable abstracted expression," indicative of being in a trance state.
Predominantly affecting the lower classes, the epidemic was incited by "a general spirit of dissatisfaction and superstitious unrest."
The population held strong beliefs in active deities, sorcery, witchcraft, and the necessity of appeasing supernatural entities.
The dancers believed they were possessed by the spirit of the deceased Queen Ranavalona, and they presented offerings at sacred places.
Aversions to hats (symbolizing Europeans) and pigs (considered impure) were also noted among the dancers.
Dr. Davidson linked the dancing to social, economic, and spiritual devastation following Queen Ranavalona's oppressive rule and fears of foreign invasion.
He concluded that religious convictions transformed despair into a frenzied dance.
Connection to Tribal Rituals
Missionaries documented tribal ceremonies that featured intense dancing and trance rituals.
Possession rituals at tombs, where mediums "receive" the spirits of the dead (often royalty), were commonplace.
Dancers likely believed their souls were being replaced by royal spirits seeking vengeance, particularly that of Queen Ranavalona, who was disillusioned with her son's pro-European inclinations.
Mirroring the choreomaniacs of 1518, they sought to appease angry spirits through their frenzied movements.
Parallels Between Strasbourg and Madagascar
Dr. Davidson’s findings support the documented accounts of Strasbourg in 1518.
Both events shared common elements such as misery, belief in vengeful spirits, trance states, music-induced intensification, disproportionate effects on lower social classes, and the perception of the dance as simultaneously a punishment and a solution to the prevailing crises.
Davidson noted the interplay of fear, suffering, and religion described by earlier chroniclers which served as catalysts for the outbreaks.
Christian neighbors who did not subscribe to the same beliefs and fears were largely unaffected, highlighting the role of shared cultural beliefs in these incidents.
Davidson's Conclusion
Davidson concluded that the dancers were victims of "some popular idea or superstition, at once so firmly believed as to lay hold of the heart of the people, and so generally as to afford scope for the operation of pathological sympathy."
The Potential for Strangeness
Davidson implied that the dancing manias uncover the potential for bizarre behavior present in all individuals.
During times of distress, our minds can transition into alarming states, leading to actions that are rational when viewed through the lens of irrational fears and beliefs.
The behavior was also governed by the expectations and practices dictated by their cultural contexts.
Comprehending choreomania invites us to acknowledge the unusual capabilities of the human psyche.