Dancing Plagues Spread Through Religious Fervor

Dancing Plagues Spread Through Religious Fervor
©Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Wikimedia Commons
In the 14th and 16th centuries, dozens of people danced uncontrollably in city streets, some until they collapsed or died. Known as dancing plagues, these episodes were often blamed on divine punishment or spiritual possession. Clergy sometimes led prayers and processions to stop the outbreaks.

The Dance of Death: The Bizarre and Fatal Phenomenon That Gripped a City in 1518.
What exactly happened in Strasbourg during the mysterious dancing plague of 1518? Lets travel back in time and have a look at the Mysterious Dancing Plague of 1518. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

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Do many dancing scenes depicted by BrUEGEL dancing plague of 1518? 
It is highly unlikely that Pieter Bruegel the Elder's dancing scenes are directly related to the mysterious Strasbourg dancing plague of 1518. Bruegel was a Flemish painter, not from Strasbourg, and the dancing plague occurred when he was a young boy. His popular dancing scenes, such as 'The Wedding Dance' and 'The Peasant Dance', were painted decades later in the 1560s.
Bruegel's Dancing Scenes
Bruegel's depictions of dancing peasants were a common subject in Northern Renaissance art. They are not meant to portray a specific historical event like the dancing plague. Instead, they serve multiple purposes:
Genre Painting: Bruegel's works are quintessential examples of genre painting, which focuses on scenes of everyday life. He was known for his detailed and bustling portrayals of Flemish rural life, festivals, and celebrations.
Social Commentary: His dance paintings often contain moralizing overtones. At the time, dancing was viewed with suspicion by religious authorities who considered it a potential source of sin and debauchery. By portraying the boisterous and sometimes lewd behavior of the peasants, Bruegel's contemporaries would have understood the scenes as a commentary on human foolishness and gluttony.
Celebration of Peasant Life: Despite the moralizing elements, Bruegel's works also celebrated the vitality and honesty of peasant life. He would often disguise himself to attend peasant feasts to observe them firsthand.
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The Strasbourg Dancing Plague of 1518
The dancing plague of 1518 was a bizarre and fatal event of dancing mania that occurred in Strasbourg, a city then within the Holy Roman Empire (modern-day France). It began when a woman named Frau Troffea started dancing uncontrollably in the street. Over the course of a month, hundreds of others joined her, dancing day and night until many collapsed from exhaustion, heart attacks, or strokes.
The phenomenon is believed by modern historians and medical experts to be a form of mass psychogenic illness (or mass hysteria), triggered by the extreme stress, famine, and disease that plagued the region. Another less-supported theory is that it was caused by ergot poisoning from a fungus on rye grain, which can cause convulsions and hallucinations.
But dancing at the gallows
No, the dancing scene in Bruegel's painting, The Magpie on the Gallows, is not directly related to the Strasbourg dancing plague. It is a visual representation of a Netherlandish proverb, "dancing on the gallows" or "to crap on the gallows," which means to be unconcerned with or to mock the threat of death or the authorities.
The painting, which he made just a year before his death, is filled with layers of symbolism and political commentary.
Symbolic Meaning of the Gallows
The gallows in the center of the painting are a powerful symbol. They likely represent the looming threat of the Spanish authorities who were brutally suppressing the Dutch Revolt and prosecuting heretics in the Netherlands at the time. Bruegel was making a political statement, a common practice for him in his late works, by alluding to the dangers of the period.
The Magpie: The magpie, which gives the painting its primary title, symbolizes gossip. During this time of religious and political turmoil, malicious gossip or accusations could easily lead to an individual's execution on the gallows.
The Dancers: The dancing peasants, seemingly oblivious to the grim symbol behind them, are performing a dance of defiance. They represent the spirit of the people who, despite the constant threat of death and oppression, continue to live their lives, mock the state, and find joy. The scene contrasts the vibrancy of life with the ever-present shadow of death, acting as a memento mori.
Not a Depiction of a Historical Event
Unlike a historical record, the painting is a complex allegory. It uses familiar symbols and proverbs to convey a message about the political and social climate of Bruegel's own time. It is a commentary on human folly and resilience, not a journalistic portrayal of a specific event like the Strasbourg plague.