What do you think?
Rate this book
A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518
The true story of a wild dancing epidemic that brought death and fear to a 16th-century city, and the terrifying supernatural beliefs from which it arose. In July 1518 a terrifying and mysterious plague struck the medieval city of Strasbourg. Hundreds of men and women danced wildly, day after day, in the punishing summer heat. They did not want to dance, but could not stop.
Throughout August and early September more and more were seized by the same terrible compulsion. By the time the epidemic subsided, heat and exhaustion had claimed an untold number of lives, leaving thousands bewildered and bereaved, and an enduring enigma for future generations. Drawing on fresh evidence, John Waller's account of the bizarre events of 1518 explains why Strasbourg's dancing plague took place. In doing so it leads us into a largely vanished world, evoking the sights, sounds, aromas, diseases and hardships, the fervent supernaturalism, and the desperate hedonism of the late medieval world. At the same time, the extraordinary story this book tells offers rich insights into how people behave when driven beyond the limits of endurance.
Above all, this is an exploration into the strangest capabilities of the human mind and the extremes to which fear and irrationality can lead us.
Throughout August and early September more and more were seized by the same terrible compulsion. By the time the epidemic subsided, heat and exhaustion had claimed an untold number of lives, leaving thousands bewildered and bereaved, and an enduring enigma for future generations. Drawing on fresh evidence, John Waller's account of the bizarre events of 1518 explains why Strasbourg's dancing plague took place. In doing so it leads us into a largely vanished world, evoking the sights, sounds, aromas, diseases and hardships, the fervent supernaturalism, and the desperate hedonism of the late medieval world. At the same time, the extraordinary story this book tells offers rich insights into how people behave when driven beyond the limits of endurance.
Above all, this is an exploration into the strangest capabilities of the human mind and the extremes to which fear and irrationality can lead us.
267 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
78 people are currently reading
3037 people want to read
About the author
John Waller
8 books2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
Associate Professor of the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan
Field: 18th century, 19th Century, Science/Medicine, Social
Region: Europe & Russia, United States
Associate Professor of the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan
Field: 18th century, 19th Century, Science/Medicine, Social
Region: Europe & Russia, United States
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
January 10, 2014
John Waller wrote a book about the dancing plague of 1518. If you are like me and the majority of people, you have not heard of the dancing plague of 1518 but as soon as you read on the back cover that in 1518 in Strasbourg dozens of people danced themselves to death you immediately want to know 'what the hell!'.
That's what Waller's book selling point is - he will tell you what the hell. But first he will tell you all the other theories that were used to explain the phenomenon. Initially, of course, demonic possession. Then the curse of St Vitus. Then overheating of the head. Then some parasite...
But John Waller claims that the REAL reason a hundred of people started to dance and couldn't stop [watch out, here be the spoilers] is because they all went loco. Well, if you ask me, demonic possession sounds about right.
Waller eventually makes a good case for his 'gone loco' theory. His main argument is that when people who are under a lot of stress and pressure break down they do so still within their cultural and sociological frame. As in - they break down they way they are supposed to break down.
Back in 1518 demonic possession was all the rave. Currently it is more en vogue to quit your job, cry, eat a lot of unhealthy food and watch daytime tv. O tempora o mores!
Let's take this moment to think about and mourn the victims of the dancing plague of 1815 to whom I would like to dedicate this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZkjeJ...
That's what Waller's book selling point is - he will tell you what the hell. But first he will tell you all the other theories that were used to explain the phenomenon. Initially, of course, demonic possession. Then the curse of St Vitus. Then overheating of the head. Then some parasite...
But John Waller claims that the REAL reason a hundred of people started to dance and couldn't stop [watch out, here be the spoilers] is because they all went loco. Well, if you ask me, demonic possession sounds about right.
Waller eventually makes a good case for his 'gone loco' theory. His main argument is that when people who are under a lot of stress and pressure break down they do so still within their cultural and sociological frame. As in - they break down they way they are supposed to break down.
Back in 1518 demonic possession was all the rave. Currently it is more en vogue to quit your job, cry, eat a lot of unhealthy food and watch daytime tv. O tempora o mores!
Let's take this moment to think about and mourn the victims of the dancing plague of 1815 to whom I would like to dedicate this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZkjeJ...
July 8, 2010
At first I was very enthused about this book, however the more I read, the more I grew irritated and lukewarm to both the author and the book.
My most hated thing is unnecessary repetitions and this occurs often in this book. It insults my intelligence to keep finding the same reworded paragraph reinserted all over the book. Plus it gives the whole thing a "padded" feel which was on my mind frequently the more I got into this book. The font is big and the pages themselves are rather small, so with the repetitions and rather pointless and stupid "imaginings" of 1518, I feel like the author was trying to draw out this book. (I also have hit my lifetime quota of the word "cavalieresque.")
All these repetitions and "well maybe the bishop wasn't in town that day, but if he was, he would probably would have looked at his flock, which might have looked something like this, and perhaps would have said..." (This is obviously not a direct quote and me making fun of the style but if the author took out all these possibilities and oh by the way, most of the townsfolk probably were missing teeth moments, book would have been much, much shorter.) Which was not needed because he had plenty of material to work with, if he wasn't focusing on random things.
Also, he needed to not be apologizing for his bizarre subject matter. It's why we're reading this book to begin with. I realize that the loss of life from uncontrollable spastic dancing is significantly less than plagues or war. It seems like he was almost embarrassed by his subject matter and kept wandering on off topic material--like the Peasant War or the attempted uprisings in the countryside, which really didn't have that much to do with anything.
I thought the ending was actually the most interesting part of the whole book and how the dancing plague is not so different from stress disorders today. Also thought it was fascinating how the ways people snap under pressure have changed over time. This should have been the focus of the book since it was obvious that his source material for the 1518 and the dozens of other 1100s-1500s choreomania was rather slim.
One more thing. Throughout the book he mentions he is focusing on the 1518 incident since that was the last major outbreak, and then at the very end of book mentions the 1863 Madagascar time where thousands danced because they thought they were haunted by the spirit of the evil dead queen Ranavalona. This interests me endlessly, since whenever the gruesome "Female Caligula" pops up in either fiction or non-fiction, things don't turn out well in a bizarre way for everyone. Did not know that she still affected the populace that much even after death. Anyways, this kind of makes all his "last major outbreak" parts false and it would have been a better book if he compared and contrasted 1518 and 1863 throughout the middle instead of just mentioning it as an aside.
Five stars for the crazy subject matter and how it made me think about coping mechanisms and pressure points of today, one for the presentation.
My most hated thing is unnecessary repetitions and this occurs often in this book. It insults my intelligence to keep finding the same reworded paragraph reinserted all over the book. Plus it gives the whole thing a "padded" feel which was on my mind frequently the more I got into this book. The font is big and the pages themselves are rather small, so with the repetitions and rather pointless and stupid "imaginings" of 1518, I feel like the author was trying to draw out this book. (I also have hit my lifetime quota of the word "cavalieresque.")
All these repetitions and "well maybe the bishop wasn't in town that day, but if he was, he would probably would have looked at his flock, which might have looked something like this, and perhaps would have said..." (This is obviously not a direct quote and me making fun of the style but if the author took out all these possibilities and oh by the way, most of the townsfolk probably were missing teeth moments, book would have been much, much shorter.) Which was not needed because he had plenty of material to work with, if he wasn't focusing on random things.
Also, he needed to not be apologizing for his bizarre subject matter. It's why we're reading this book to begin with. I realize that the loss of life from uncontrollable spastic dancing is significantly less than plagues or war. It seems like he was almost embarrassed by his subject matter and kept wandering on off topic material--like the Peasant War or the attempted uprisings in the countryside, which really didn't have that much to do with anything.
I thought the ending was actually the most interesting part of the whole book and how the dancing plague is not so different from stress disorders today. Also thought it was fascinating how the ways people snap under pressure have changed over time. This should have been the focus of the book since it was obvious that his source material for the 1518 and the dozens of other 1100s-1500s choreomania was rather slim.
One more thing. Throughout the book he mentions he is focusing on the 1518 incident since that was the last major outbreak, and then at the very end of book mentions the 1863 Madagascar time where thousands danced because they thought they were haunted by the spirit of the evil dead queen Ranavalona. This interests me endlessly, since whenever the gruesome "Female Caligula" pops up in either fiction or non-fiction, things don't turn out well in a bizarre way for everyone. Did not know that she still affected the populace that much even after death. Anyways, this kind of makes all his "last major outbreak" parts false and it would have been a better book if he compared and contrasted 1518 and 1863 throughout the middle instead of just mentioning it as an aside.
Five stars for the crazy subject matter and how it made me think about coping mechanisms and pressure points of today, one for the presentation.
November 19, 2017
In Strasbourg, July 1518, a lone woman started dancing and could not stop. She eventually collapsed from exhaustion, then woke up and started dancing again, and the cycle continued until her feet were bloodied and those around her sent her off to the shrine of St. Vitus some way away, in the hopes of a miraculous cure.
(This is truth, by the way. Not fiction. This is a popular history book, not one of the fantasy novels I keep reading.)
Soon enough, dozens of other people had started dancing uncontrollably, until the city authorities intervened and tried to save their population from this newest and most terrifying of contagious plagues.
I knew a little bit about the story in advance - I think it got mentioned somewhere and I wiki-ed it for more info, then was disappointed by how little I could find out about it. Naturally, this book caught my eye immediately when I saw it.
John Waller recreates a bit of the society back at the time, complete with famine, debts, and a corrupt church - a desperate age, with desperate people at the end of their hope, believing that God and his saints were punishing them. And he proposes an explanation for the dancing plague: mass hysteria. He makes a pretty good case for it, too.
It's a fairly short and easily readable book and, while it contains fewer details about the things that happened to those who survived the dancing plague than I'd have hoped, it's an interesting read.
(This is truth, by the way. Not fiction. This is a popular history book, not one of the fantasy novels I keep reading.)
Soon enough, dozens of other people had started dancing uncontrollably, until the city authorities intervened and tried to save their population from this newest and most terrifying of contagious plagues.
I knew a little bit about the story in advance - I think it got mentioned somewhere and I wiki-ed it for more info, then was disappointed by how little I could find out about it. Naturally, this book caught my eye immediately when I saw it.
John Waller recreates a bit of the society back at the time, complete with famine, debts, and a corrupt church - a desperate age, with desperate people at the end of their hope, believing that God and his saints were punishing them. And he proposes an explanation for the dancing plague: mass hysteria. He makes a pretty good case for it, too.
It's a fairly short and easily readable book and, while it contains fewer details about the things that happened to those who survived the dancing plague than I'd have hoped, it's an interesting read.
December 11, 2013
An interesting look at the year 1518, the year a woman began to dance and didn't stop for days. Others joined her and soon many many people were overtaken by this strange plague.
A look back at the ever present threat of starvation due to famine, the corruption of the church who instead of helping their people, took from them. The fire and brimstone preached, the harshness of God and the belief that God was unhappy with them. The darkness of the end of the middle ages, the superstitions ever present are all presented in this book. Therein lies my problem, yes background information was needed to understand the setting that allowed a event such as this to occur. However, I think way to much was presented over and over again, repetitious in some parts. The last three chapters were probably the best, research into the mind and other strange things that have occurred throughout history. The mind is a very powerful instrument indeed.
A look back at the ever present threat of starvation due to famine, the corruption of the church who instead of helping their people, took from them. The fire and brimstone preached, the harshness of God and the belief that God was unhappy with them. The darkness of the end of the middle ages, the superstitions ever present are all presented in this book. Therein lies my problem, yes background information was needed to understand the setting that allowed a event such as this to occur. However, I think way to much was presented over and over again, repetitious in some parts. The last three chapters were probably the best, research into the mind and other strange things that have occurred throughout history. The mind is a very powerful instrument indeed.
Read
February 28, 2016A relatively superficial treatment of a bizarre phenomenon. There's not much more information here than on the Wikipedia page on the subject.
There's not much point writing a review. Either you've suddenly become obsessed with the dancing plague, in which case you're going to read it whatever I say, or you haven't, in which case don't bother.
I'd like a really good modern book on fashionable insanities -- the dancing plague, and the one after WWI where people travelled with amnesia and so on. The stuff in this one about the neurology of the pathology barely scratched the surface.
There's not much point writing a review. Either you've suddenly become obsessed with the dancing plague, in which case you're going to read it whatever I say, or you haven't, in which case don't bother.
I'd like a really good modern book on fashionable insanities -- the dancing plague, and the one after WWI where people travelled with amnesia and so on. The stuff in this one about the neurology of the pathology barely scratched the surface.
January 10, 2018
I started reading this book with enthusiasm, interested to find out the cause for the strange ‘Dancing Plague’ that erupted in 1518 in Strasbourg. Men and women started to dance for no known reason and some of them literally danced themselves to death!
I was really intrigued to read the cause of this illness but I was disappointed with the conclusions of the author. He gives a variety of ‘possible’ causes but it seems that there was too little information recorded at the time for us to actually know what caused the strange behaviour. The author was very repetitive and kept referring back to previous cases that he had mentioned so often that it became confusing as to whether he was describing a new outbreak or a previous. I felt that I had spent too much time reading this for the results gained. All the answers were based on speculation
I was really intrigued to read the cause of this illness but I was disappointed with the conclusions of the author. He gives a variety of ‘possible’ causes but it seems that there was too little information recorded at the time for us to actually know what caused the strange behaviour. The author was very repetitive and kept referring back to previous cases that he had mentioned so often that it became confusing as to whether he was describing a new outbreak or a previous. I felt that I had spent too much time reading this for the results gained. All the answers were based on speculation
November 10, 2019
This book explores a fascinating topic: Several times throughout history, large numbers of people have danced uncontrollably for days. Most of them didn’t want to dance, but they couldn’t stop. Some of them danced until they dropped dead from (probably) dehydration and heat stroke.
The author argues that the “dancing plagues” were responses to stress and cultural expectations. Basically, the deadly group dances were mass hysteria. One woman believed she’d been forced to dance by vengeful Saint Vitus. That idea spread to her neighbors, and they started to believe that they’d been cursed too. The town leaders tried several ways to stop the dancing, but the only thing that worked was taking the dancers to Vitus’s shrine and letting them dance until they thought the saint was satisfied.
The book’s most interesting chapter is the last one. The author talks about how people’s responses to stress have changed as our culture changed. Back in the dancing plague days, people thought life’s problems were caused by angry saints. They responded to stress by believing in curses and thinking they needed to please the saints. Nowadays, our culture sees stress through a medical lens. We respond to it by going to the doctor and complaining about headaches, stomachaches, insomnia, etc. Instead of appeasing saints, we take medication and do yoga. Our way of experiencing stress may seem bizarre to people in the future.
I enjoyed the last chapter, but the rest of the book is dry and padded with repetitive information. The author does a lot of assuming and speculating. Historical records about the dancing plagues are sparse. I don’t think we know enough about them to write an entire book on the subject.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense?
I have a blog for that.
The author argues that the “dancing plagues” were responses to stress and cultural expectations. Basically, the deadly group dances were mass hysteria. One woman believed she’d been forced to dance by vengeful Saint Vitus. That idea spread to her neighbors, and they started to believe that they’d been cursed too. The town leaders tried several ways to stop the dancing, but the only thing that worked was taking the dancers to Vitus’s shrine and letting them dance until they thought the saint was satisfied.
The book’s most interesting chapter is the last one. The author talks about how people’s responses to stress have changed as our culture changed. Back in the dancing plague days, people thought life’s problems were caused by angry saints. They responded to stress by believing in curses and thinking they needed to please the saints. Nowadays, our culture sees stress through a medical lens. We respond to it by going to the doctor and complaining about headaches, stomachaches, insomnia, etc. Instead of appeasing saints, we take medication and do yoga. Our way of experiencing stress may seem bizarre to people in the future.
I enjoyed the last chapter, but the rest of the book is dry and padded with repetitive information. The author does a lot of assuming and speculating. Historical records about the dancing plagues are sparse. I don’t think we know enough about them to write an entire book on the subject.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense?
I have a blog for that.
August 1, 2020
I wish there was a slightly more in depth recount of such an interesting historical event. This one was a bit repetitive and sometimes superficial.
February 19, 2021
This book is so good and I cannot beLIEVE the hate it’s getting. Certainly he is repetitive and there’s a lot of academic fluff, but I loved reading every single chapter. The history is well researched and well organized, the final two chapters were the most exciting of all. Some of these reviews feel unfair because they seem to be criticizing the actual events of the plague rather than the writing or the themes of the book....he tells the events as they happened (to the best of our knowledge) and he takes on a lot of interesting perspectives. Another thing people are reviewing poorly is the fact that we don’t find out what “really” happened....what a ridiculous criticism. The content of the final 2-3 chapters is well argued and just as satisfying an answer as any. The final thing that seems to be happening in these reviews is that Christians are offended? Lol. It’s a quick read and I super recommend
April 7, 2010
Summary: There was a plague in 1518, people danced (how many - who knows?) and people died (how many - somewhere between 10 and 100). It's the fault of the Catholic Church and their crazy superstitions and how they overly oppressed the people on 16th century Germany. Take that Catholic Church!
Review: This book was about a half-step from incredibly moronic. And since I barely use my two-star rating, I decided to give it that half-step in terms of two stars. First of all, when this plague occurred, it happened in the only the same place - the river valley in the vicinity of Strasbourg. That, to me, seems like a pretty clear indication of environmental factors, considering the Catholic Church was oppressing people pretty much the same everywhere, but only Strasbourgings were dancing. But, what do I know? I don't write over-priced books with overly large font and footnotes that could almost fool you into believing that it was written by someone worthy of scholarly-ness.
Review: This book was about a half-step from incredibly moronic. And since I barely use my two-star rating, I decided to give it that half-step in terms of two stars. First of all, when this plague occurred, it happened in the only the same place - the river valley in the vicinity of Strasbourg. That, to me, seems like a pretty clear indication of environmental factors, considering the Catholic Church was oppressing people pretty much the same everywhere, but only Strasbourgings were dancing. But, what do I know? I don't write over-priced books with overly large font and footnotes that could almost fool you into believing that it was written by someone worthy of scholarly-ness.
January 11, 2017
A very quick read, interesting but not as engaging as I would like. There's a lack of historical sources for this event (though far more records exist that talk about this particular dancing plague than the others that occurred over several countries and hundreds of years), and I believe the author was trying very hard to keep everything as factual as possible. So the book felt a bit dry and academic at times. I think I would enjoy a well written historical fiction novel about these events, especially one where the author didn't give in to the urge to weave in supernatural causes.
Anyway - worth the read but probably not worth spending the money. Borrow this one from your local library, and if you find a novel dealing with the dancing plague, please let me know immediately.
Anyway - worth the read but probably not worth spending the money. Borrow this one from your local library, and if you find a novel dealing with the dancing plague, please let me know immediately.
October 11, 2020
This book did a great job of exploring the cultural niche that existed and caused a plague of dancing. The author follows both the historical context of religious and political corruption, the psychological factors involved in a dancing hysteria, the aftermath of such an event, as well as modern understanding and examples of anxiety-induced episodes: “choreomania offers us an object lesson in how cultural conventions can determine the manner in which pathological anxiety is expressed. Just as importantly, it offers us a striking case study in the extreme suggestibility of our species, especially when under conditions of severe psychological stress” (213). A fascinating look at a bizarre moment in history.
December 22, 2022
5 stars mainly because this was so fucking insane that i too almost caught the dancing disease
June 24, 2023
2.5/3⭐️
It was supposed to give, but it did not give what needed to be gave to be highest of giving 😵💫😵💫
Disappointing because it opened well but just dragged on a bit
It was supposed to give, but it did not give what needed to be gave to be highest of giving 😵💫😵💫
Disappointing because it opened well but just dragged on a bit
June 18, 2016
Two thoughts recurred throughout reading this book: how symbolically and practically applicable the events of 1518 still are today, and this:
And you can dance for inspiration
Come on I'm waiting
Get into the groove
Boy you've got to prove
Your love to me
Get up on your feet
Step to the beat
Boy what will it be
Music can be such a revelation
Dancing around you feel the sweet sensation
We might be lovers if the rhythm's right
I hope this feeling never ends tonight
Only when I'm dancing can I feel this free
At night I lock the doors, where no one else can see
I'm tired of dancing here all by myself
Tonight I want to dance with someone else
Get into the groove
Boy you've got to prove
Your love to me
Get up on your feet
Step to the beat
Boy what will it be
Gonna get to know you in a special way
This doesn't happen to me every day
Don't try to hide it love wears no disguise
I see the fire burning in your eyes
Get into the groove
Boy you've got to prove
Your love to me
Get up on your feet
Step to the beat
Boy what will it be
Live out your fantasy here with me
Just let the music set you free
Touch my body, and move in time
Now I now you're mine
And you can dance for inspiration
Come on I'm waiting
Get into the groove
Boy you've got to prove
Your love to me
Get up on your feet
Step to the beat
Boy what will it be
Music can be such a revelation
Dancing around you feel the sweet sensation
We might be lovers if the rhythm's right
I hope this feeling never ends tonight
Only when I'm dancing can I feel this free
At night I lock the doors, where no one else can see
I'm tired of dancing here all by myself
Tonight I want to dance with someone else
Get into the groove
Boy you've got to prove
Your love to me
Get up on your feet
Step to the beat
Boy what will it be
Gonna get to know you in a special way
This doesn't happen to me every day
Don't try to hide it love wears no disguise
I see the fire burning in your eyes
Get into the groove
Boy you've got to prove
Your love to me
Get up on your feet
Step to the beat
Boy what will it be
Live out your fantasy here with me
Just let the music set you free
Touch my body, and move in time
Now I now you're mine
December 7, 2014
This book has some interesting aspects. The general idea is that the dancing "plagues" of history are due to psychological conditions, not medical. If people believe in something strongly enough, they do weird things. In these cases, the belief that God has forsaken people and his wrath is upon them, coupled with hard economic situations and perhaps difficult political times, puts the people in a psychological situation in which they can slip into trances that make them dance.
The book then goes on to try to explain the psychology of the brain that could cause such reactions.
Throughout the book, the theories/ideas/history put forth would be a lot more plausible without the constant use of "maybe", "perhaps", "could have been", "safely assume", etc. The things said often came across as guesses, rather than fact.
In general, this is an interesting phenomena that just doesn't have enough information written about it to be made into a book. It would have made an interesting essay.
The book then goes on to try to explain the psychology of the brain that could cause such reactions.
Throughout the book, the theories/ideas/history put forth would be a lot more plausible without the constant use of "maybe", "perhaps", "could have been", "safely assume", etc. The things said often came across as guesses, rather than fact.
In general, this is an interesting phenomena that just doesn't have enough information written about it to be made into a book. It would have made an interesting essay.
January 4, 2015
Factoids and the author's own burning issues, opinion and conjecture masquerading as scholarship, repetitive writing, and--oh, yeah--blame it all on "hysteria". Caused of course by the people's silly, backward belief in religion. No hidden agendas here--they're right out there in plain sight.
God virus, anyone?
Ugh.
God virus, anyone?
Ugh.
May 22, 2019
A fascinating idea, and a well researched book (and, oddly, the edition I found is titled simply "The Dancing Plague" - an earlier edition, perhaps?). Unfortunately, the writing is stiff and incredibly repetitive. Reads more like a thesis paper than a narrative. If the information were organized and presented better, it would be hard to put down. Alas, I actually skipped over sections out of frustration. Personally, I found the final chapter (on the psychiatric aspects of the plague) the most interesting part of the book, but then, I'm more of a neurologist than historian.
February 10, 2017
Originally reviewed at Romancing the Social Sciences
I picked up A Time to Dance, A Time to Die because I briefly studied the Strasbourg Dancing Plague of 1518 at university as a supposed example of emotional contagion, and, when I flicked through it in the shop, I saw that Waller also favoured psychological explanations.
His thesis is that the plague was a form of psychological mass hysteria stemming from the supernaturalism, helplessness and despair of late Middle-Age Strasbourg and its surroundings. Although it takes a while to establish convincingly, it ends up being a surprisingly compelling theory, especially since Waller links the 1518 epidemic to other similar dancing plagues that occurred elsewhere in Europe in the preceding centuries.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this means that the book's real strength is placing the plague within its social context: the poverty and hardship suffered by the third estate, the corruption and excess of the medieval Church and bourgeoisie, and the way this conflict manifested itself in not just the dancing plague, but anti-clericalism, the Bundschuch Movement and, a few years later, Luther and the beginning of the Reformation.
However, the focus on social factors meant that, for me, the exploration of the zeitgeist was more absorbing than some of the analysis of the plague itself, which could be a bit repetitive, and also seemed facile in some places and unnecessarily deep in others.
The last chapter is where Waller really clinches his argument about the suggestibility and power of the subconscious mind, and the way that it can express psychological distress in pre-progammed ways specific to a society, its belief system, norms and stigmas. He draws in a wide ranges of other incidences as examples, such as the Tanganyika laughter epidemic, shell shock and tarantism, and explores the science behind these somatic expressions of pyschological distress. Although it makes sense for this to be the concluding chapter, in some ways I wish the discussion of neurosicence had come earlier, because it was essential to the whole thesis, and it is this context that makes the thesis so plausible.
Overall, this was a solid exploration of the Dancing Plague, which was very impressive when it came to explaining the social unrest of early 16th century Strasbourg. However, one thing that did annoy me was the lack of footnotes, made worse by the fact that the notes are acutally in the back of the book, just not referenced to anything in particular. Maybe it's because it's meant to be a popular history and so the publisher didn't want to make it seem intimidatingly academic, but there is nothing pretensious about making sure that people can access information easily.
I picked up A Time to Dance, A Time to Die because I briefly studied the Strasbourg Dancing Plague of 1518 at university as a supposed example of emotional contagion, and, when I flicked through it in the shop, I saw that Waller also favoured psychological explanations.
His thesis is that the plague was a form of psychological mass hysteria stemming from the supernaturalism, helplessness and despair of late Middle-Age Strasbourg and its surroundings. Although it takes a while to establish convincingly, it ends up being a surprisingly compelling theory, especially since Waller links the 1518 epidemic to other similar dancing plagues that occurred elsewhere in Europe in the preceding centuries.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this means that the book's real strength is placing the plague within its social context: the poverty and hardship suffered by the third estate, the corruption and excess of the medieval Church and bourgeoisie, and the way this conflict manifested itself in not just the dancing plague, but anti-clericalism, the Bundschuch Movement and, a few years later, Luther and the beginning of the Reformation.
However, the focus on social factors meant that, for me, the exploration of the zeitgeist was more absorbing than some of the analysis of the plague itself, which could be a bit repetitive, and also seemed facile in some places and unnecessarily deep in others.
The last chapter is where Waller really clinches his argument about the suggestibility and power of the subconscious mind, and the way that it can express psychological distress in pre-progammed ways specific to a society, its belief system, norms and stigmas. He draws in a wide ranges of other incidences as examples, such as the Tanganyika laughter epidemic, shell shock and tarantism, and explores the science behind these somatic expressions of pyschological distress. Although it makes sense for this to be the concluding chapter, in some ways I wish the discussion of neurosicence had come earlier, because it was essential to the whole thesis, and it is this context that makes the thesis so plausible.
Overall, this was a solid exploration of the Dancing Plague, which was very impressive when it came to explaining the social unrest of early 16th century Strasbourg. However, one thing that did annoy me was the lack of footnotes, made worse by the fact that the notes are acutally in the back of the book, just not referenced to anything in particular. Maybe it's because it's meant to be a popular history and so the publisher didn't want to make it seem intimidatingly academic, but there is nothing pretensious about making sure that people can access information easily.
November 15, 2015
This is one of those books that reminds me why I love history.
In the summer of 1518 in Strasbourg (modern day France) 2-400 people danced uncontrollably for days on end. No kidding. Some even danced until they died of exhaustion. For the first half of the book I had a hard time believing Mr Waller wasn't jerking me around.
Mr Waller spends a few chapters establishing the world and worldview that people of 16th century Strasbourg lived in and uses that to argue that the dancers were actually in a trance and believed themselves to be under the curse of St Vitus (Catholic saints, occasionally they're a little crazy). After recounting the history and aftermath of the plague, Mr Waller spends the last two chapter recounting other stories of how people in different times and cultures react to stressful situations and behave in a 'trance'.
I think the last chapter really sold me on the book. After the author claimed the dancing was done in a trance, I was skeptical that that was possible but after reading the last chapter and seeing that while the dancing is unique to a time and place, the act of involuntarily acting in some culture specific way is widespread across the globe I'm more open minded on the subject.
And finally, kudos for covering a really odd event.
In the summer of 1518 in Strasbourg (modern day France) 2-400 people danced uncontrollably for days on end. No kidding. Some even danced until they died of exhaustion. For the first half of the book I had a hard time believing Mr Waller wasn't jerking me around.
Mr Waller spends a few chapters establishing the world and worldview that people of 16th century Strasbourg lived in and uses that to argue that the dancers were actually in a trance and believed themselves to be under the curse of St Vitus (Catholic saints, occasionally they're a little crazy). After recounting the history and aftermath of the plague, Mr Waller spends the last two chapter recounting other stories of how people in different times and cultures react to stressful situations and behave in a 'trance'.
I think the last chapter really sold me on the book. After the author claimed the dancing was done in a trance, I was skeptical that that was possible but after reading the last chapter and seeing that while the dancing is unique to a time and place, the act of involuntarily acting in some culture specific way is widespread across the globe I'm more open minded on the subject.
And finally, kudos for covering a really odd event.
October 22, 2022
Overview of and attempt to explain the choreomania plagues of the 13th and 16th centuries. A bit repetitive and seems a bit thin on source material, given the amount of speculation, but fascinating and gruesome history for sure. The last chapter laid out an interesting theory, that under intense stress the mind breaks down in culturally and sociologically ‘approved’ ways, deeply susceptible to suggestion. I don’t know enough to critically evaluate his theory, but I’ll tuck it away to compare against things I learn in the future.
June 4, 2021
First off, I love the name of the book and how in-depth this book goes into the mystery of the dancing plague. Before I started reading this book I thought I had a decent understanding of the dancing plague, but shortly after starting to read this book, I realized that I barely scratched the surface. This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered about the medical mystery of the dancing plague.
For those who have never heard of the dancing plague, I will give you a quick summary. A few peasants in medieval Europe started dancing randomly until they died. This later escalated to more and more people starting to dance until they died. While no one has able to identify the real cause of this there are many plausible theories. This book explains the entire phenomenon in detail, explores the theories at the time and modern theories as well. Also, the book is written so you don't need to be an expert in anything in order to understand everything explained in the book.
For those who have never heard of the dancing plague, I will give you a quick summary. A few peasants in medieval Europe started dancing randomly until they died. This later escalated to more and more people starting to dance until they died. While no one has able to identify the real cause of this there are many plausible theories. This book explains the entire phenomenon in detail, explores the theories at the time and modern theories as well. Also, the book is written so you don't need to be an expert in anything in order to understand everything explained in the book.
May 29, 2009
The villagers of Strasbourg found in the summer of 1518 that they just could not stop dancing. Kind of like a 90s rave but without the dayglo sticks. The author relays what happened and the sociological circumstances that surrounded it while finishing with his own theory as to the cause. It's a very interesting tale because it's so bizarre. Waller's supposition is that it was a kind of mass hysteria owing to the human brain being susceptible to suggestion. It's a very well written book and logically thought out.
October 11, 2009
Easy to read, relatively short book that probably goes into a category of: "Who knew?" Story of a strange affliction that affected hundreds in middle ages Europe. Doesn't really come to any conclusion because there really isn't one but the suggested reasons for the so called plague hold water.
Very interesting is the setting i.e. the historical context and how the reverence for the priesthood was beginning to come apart with their corrupt approach to religion. Generally, obviously, not a happy time to be alive really!
Very interesting is the setting i.e. the historical context and how the reverence for the priesthood was beginning to come apart with their corrupt approach to religion. Generally, obviously, not a happy time to be alive really!
June 11, 2011
The proposed cause of the Dancing Plague is speculative and interesting...but I didn't want it to be THAT!
The historical background of this book is really the worthy content. Serfdom is a bitch and boy it sure seems as if Robin Hood ought to be real!!!
The historical background of this book is really the worthy content. Serfdom is a bitch and boy it sure seems as if Robin Hood ought to be real!!!
July 3, 2015
A really interesting look into an incredibly weird incident. The dancing mania has occurred a few times throughout history and this is an account of the incident in Strasbourg. The writer uses as many sources as possible and then goes into interesting detail as to what he thinks caused it (Trance states)
Very engaging and certainly informative.
Very engaging and certainly informative.
August 27, 2018
This book is a good intro to psychopathology manifest in pandemic proportions. I was kinda sorta hoping that there would be more science and less history - a solid 80% was spent on the religious indoctrination of medieval Europe. Otherwise the last chapter really had me going and exquisitely surmised the ethnomedical phenomenon of Rock_Your_Body-Justin_Timberlake.mp3.
November 30, 2018
the subject matter is actually quite interesting but the primary sources are rather thin and the author's description of events can verge on speculation. his explanation of the phenomenon is fairly convincing, with a solid final chapter. my main complaint is that this is essentially a lengthy journal article that got stretched out to become a book, which it didn't need to be.
November 20, 2017
This book starts with the compelling story of Frau Troffea dancing in Strasbourg, but it touches on so much more: religious fervor, the Protestant Reformation, papal corruption, bicameralism in psychology, political science. Every chapter contained quotable lines and vivid imagery.
November 5, 2011
Synthesizes nicely with a reading of Norman Cohn.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews