Dancing mania is a social phenomenon that occurred primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 18th centuries.During an outbreak of dancing mania, groups of strange people,sometimes thousands at a time, would dance uncontrollably and bizarrely.Many strange incidents of dancing mania have been recorded. During these events, men, women, and children dance through the streets of towns or cities, sometimes foaming at the mouth until they collapse and die from fatigue. One of the first major outbreaks of the mania occurred in Aachen, Germany, on June 24, 1374.
During the event, the populace danced wildly through the streets, screaming of visions and hallucinations, and even continued to writhe and twist after they were too exhausted to stand. The phenomenon is well-documented in contemporary writings. During the initial outbreaks of the mania, religious ceremonies were often held in an attempt to exorcise the demons believed to be causing the dancing. No real consensus exists as to what caused themania. However, some cases, especially the one in Aachen, may have been caused by ergot poisoning, or ergotism, known in the Middle Ages as "St. Anthony's Fire.”
