EPISODE · Nov 20, 2025 · 8 MIN
The Dancing Plague
from Wealth Syndicate: Power Plays in Business, Finance & Innovation · host kate deeenik
In the summer of 1518, the streets of Strasbourg filled with people who could not stop dancing—hundreds, then thousands, twirling until their feet bled and their hearts gave out. Was it ergot poisoning, divine punishment, or the first recorded case of mass psychogenic illness? We follow the frantic steps of Frau Troffea, the woman who started it all, and uncover why an entire city danced itself to death.
What this episode covers
In the summer of 1518, the streets of Strasbourg filled with people who could not stop dancing—hundreds, then thousands, twirling until their feet bled and their hearts gave out. Was it ergot poisoning, divine punishment, or the first recorded case of mass psychogenic illness? We follow the frantic steps of Frau Troffea, the woman who started it all, and uncover why an entire city danced itself to death.
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The Dancing Plague
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