Hidden History with Dr. Harini Bhat — The Dancing Plague of 1518: A Deadly Epidemic That Made People Dance to Death

SCOUT· 69%36m·2026-05-11·History

The Dancing Plague of 1518: A Deadly Epidemic That Made People Dance to Death

Hidden History with Dr. Harini Bhat · 1

What would make hundreds of people dance uncontrollably for weeks, until they collapsed? In 1518, the city of Strasbourg was overtaken by one of the strangest epidemics in recorded history. It wasn’t the plague. It wasn’t war. It was dancing. Doctors prescribed more dancing. Priests blamed a curse. Musicians were…

Listen now

Buzzmeter · cross-platform

69%

SCOUT

Scout bees are checking it out — divided opinions, the swarm hasn't committed.

Hive Vote · Skep listeners

New on SkepAwaiting the hive's first votes

Buzzmeter says it's buzzing across platforms — the Hive Vote says whether the people who actually listened liked it.

Rate this episode

Add your vote to the Hive — listeners rate every episode after they finish.

Recent reviews

No reviews yet — be the first.

The Dancing Plague of 1518: A Deadly Epidemic That Made People Dance to Death

Rate this episode

More from Hidden History with Dr. Harini Bhat

The Roswell Incident: UFO Crash, Cover-Up, or Cold War Secret?

Princes in the Tower: The Murder Mystery that Inspired Game of Thrones

The Death of Edgar Allan Poe: Fraud, Disease, Or Murder?