June 24 - Mass Hysteria: The Devastating Dancing Plague Of 1374
The Power of Intercessory Prayer
This is the day a sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance caused people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapsed from exhaustion in 1374.
In today's lesson, we will explore how to respond faithfully when faced with suffering we cannot understand or explain. When the dancing plague struck Aachen in 1374, witnesses had no medical knowledge or spiritual framework to comprehend what they were seeing, yet they were still called to respond with compassion. How do we intercede for others when we don't even know what to pray for? What does faithful prayer look like in the face of complete mystery?
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." - Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)
This Date in History
On June 24, 1374, the city of Aachen, Germany, was struck by a sudden outbreak of a peculiar affliction known as St. John's Dance. Without warning, people in the streets began to experience vivid hallucinations and felt compelled to dance erratically. They jumped, twitched, and convulsed uncontrollably, unable to stop until they collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
The unusual phenomenon took its name from the feast day of St. John the Baptist, which was celebrated on June 24. It remains unclear what triggered this specific outbreak, but several similar occurrences, collectively known as "dancing plagues" or "dancing manias," sporadically emerged in various European towns during the Middle Ages.
Onlookers watched in a mix of horror and fascination as the afflicted individuals danced frenziedly. The dancers seemed trapped in a trance-like state, their minds disconnected from their flailing bodies. Many suffered from delusions and hallucinations, claiming to see visions of spirits or religious figures.
As the phenomenon spread throughout the city, the number of affected individuals grew rapidly. People from all walks of life fell victim to the mysterious compulsion to dance. Attempts to restrain or subdue them proved futile, as the dancers continued their erratic movements, even when physically exhausted.
The dancing plague of 1374 in Aachen was not an isolated incident. Similar outbreaks occurred in other parts of Europe, such as in Strasbourg in 1518 and in various towns along the Rhine River. The exact cause of these dancing plagues remains a subject of debate among historians and scholars.
Some theories suggest that the dancers might have been afflicted by a form of mass hysteria or collective psychosis, triggered by the stresses of the time, such as disease, famine, and religious upheaval. Others speculate that the convulsive movements could have been the result of ergot poisoning, caused by the ingestion of rye bread contaminated with a fungal toxin.
The 1374 outbreak in Aachen lasted for several days, leaving the city in a state of chaos and confusion. Eyewitness accounts describe the scene as a surreal and unsettling spectacle, with the incessant sound of shuffling feet and the anguished cries of the dancers filling the air.
As suddenly as it had begun, the dancing epidemic ended, leaving the affected individuals exhausted, disoriented, and grappling with the aftermath of their strange experience. The city of Aachen slowly returned to normalcy, but the memory of the bizarre event lingered in the minds of those who had witnessed it.
Historical Context
The 14th century in Europe was a time of profound upheaval. The Black Death had devastated the population, leaving deep economic, social, and religious scars. In its wake, fear, uncertainty, and a heightened sense of mortality shaped behavior. The Catholic Church, central to daily life, reinforced this atmosphere with its doctrines, festivals, and veneration of saints. Yet even as faith provided structure, movements like the Flagellants emerged, expressing extreme religious fervor and a desperate desire for redemption in the face of suffering and divine judgment.
Politically, the Holy Roman Empire remained fragmented, with regional rulers competing for influence across central Europe, including in cities like Aachen. Mysticism flourished alongside political strife, while scientific understanding lagged behind. Diseases were often seen as divine punishment. However, modern scholars suggest that outbreaks like the dancing plagues may have stemmed not only from psychological stress but also from ergot poisoning—a toxin in contaminated rye that can cause hallucinations and spasms. This combination of spiritual anxiety and biological factors reveals a complex, often tragic, portrait of medieval life.
Did You Know?
Medieval authorities often hired musicians to play for the dancing plague victims, believing that music would cure the affliction, but this strategy frequently backfired by encouraging even more people to join the frenzied dancing.
In medieval times, dancing was sometimes seen as a form of worship or religious expression. Processional dances, such as the "Dance of Death" or "Danse Macabre," were popular in the 14th and 15th centuries, depicting the universality of death and the equalizing power of mortality.
Victims taken to St. Vitus shrines for healing were given special red shoes sprinkled with holy water, had crosses painted on the tops and soles, and were required to hold small crosses while priests performed rituals with incense and Latin incantations.
One of the earliest documented cases of dancing mania occurred in 1237 when a group of children from Erfurt danced continuously for approximately 12 miles to the neighboring town of Arnstadt before collapsing from exhaustion.
The dancing plague was later called "the forgotten plague" because it largely disappeared from Europe after the 17th century, with historians identifying at least seven distinct outbreaks during the medieval period.
Today’s Reflection
When the dancing plague broke out in Aachen on June 24, 1374, no one knew what they were seeing. People convulsed in the streets. Some shouted unintelligibly. Others collapsed from exhaustion, only to rise and dance again. Families, priests, and city officials were left grasping for answers that never came.
What do you pray when you don't even understand the problem?
The Church had no name for what was happening. The people had no diagnosis. Even those watching with compassion didn't know what to ask God for. Healing? Exorcism? Protection from whatever was spreading? Nothing was certain except the suffering.
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)
This is where intercessory prayer becomes both humbling and holy. Paul tells us to pray "on all occasions" not only when we understand the need, but especially when we don't. The mystery of what happened in Aachen doesn't lessen the call. It sharpens it.
Because prayer is not dependent on our clarity. It depends on God's sovereignty.
Sometimes, we witness suffering that makes no sense. A mental health crisis. A sudden breakdown. A spiritual heaviness no one can explain. And we feel helpless like those standing in the streets of Aachen, watching the chaos unfold.
But our job is not to analyze. It is to intercede.
Ephesians 6:18 calls us to be alert. Spiritually awake. Willing to respond to the burdens around us, even if we don't understand them. Prayer, in these moments, is an act of trust. We bring our confusion to the One who is never confused.
We cry out for peace when minds are restless. We ask for protection when bodies collapse. We plead for clarity when all we see is madness.
Even today, you may know someone who's caught in something you can't explain. They're unraveling. But you don't know how to fix it. That doesn't mean you do nothing. You lift them up. You hold them before the Lord and ask Him to do what you cannot.
Because prayer is not passive. It is powerful.
The plague in Aachen eventually ended. The dancers fell still. But those who stood in the gap those who prayed through the mystery were participating in God's work, whether they realized it or not.
So when you see chaos you can't comprehend, don't let confusion silence you. Let it drive you to your knees. Let it awaken your spirit. And let it remind you that even in the unknown, your prayers are known by God.
Practical Application
When you encounter someone struggling with something you cannot fully understand or explain, resist the urge to offer quick solutions or simple explanations. Instead, commit to praying for them regularly, even when you don't know exactly what to ask for. Create a specific time each day to bring their situation before God, asking Him to work in ways beyond your comprehension. Let your uncertainty become a reminder of your dependence on God's wisdom rather than your own understanding.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You see and understand every burden, every struggle, and every mysterious affliction that touches our world. When we are faced with situations that baffle our minds and break our hearts, help us remember that nothing is hidden from Your sight. Give us faithful hearts that turn to prayer when we don't know what else to do. Strengthen our resolve to intercede for those who are suffering, even when we cannot comprehend their pain. May our prayers be a bridge between human confusion and divine clarity, trusting that You are working even in the mysteries we cannot solve. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Final Thoughts
Prayer is not about having all the answers; it's about knowing the One who does. When we encounter the inexplicable sufferings and struggles around us, our calling is not to understand everything but to faithfully intercede for those who need God's intervention. In our willingness to pray through the mysteries, we participate in God's redemptive work, trusting that He can bring healing and hope even when we cannot see how.
Author’s Notes
Today’s devotional is one I first shared in 2024. While I’m posting new reflections as I’m able, I’m also bringing back past devotionals—sometimes as they first appeared, sometimes with added clarity or deeper insight. A few are even fully rewritten around the same historical event, offering a renewed reflection shaped by prayer and time. Whether lightly edited or entirely reworked, the message remains rooted in Scripture and the hope that each word meets you with fresh encouragement and truth.
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This made me think about the current crazy dance that we are witnessing today, that of the rampant drug abuse destroying many of our youth. Unfortunately, this dance doesn’t just lead to exhaustion, it often leads to death as it did with our son, Patrick.
I thank God that during my alcohol and drug abusing days that the drugs were more expensive and less lethal or I would have been dead long ago. I pray to Him every day that our young people will wake up as I did back then. I also pray that law enforcement will stop coddling the young, as the years I spent incarcerated helped me to realize that my substance abuse was the source of all my troubles.
Have a great and blessed day, Jason!
Awesome piece, Jason. As the saying goes: "money"! Memorable and meaty!
Especially, "...prayer is not dependent on our clarity. It depends on God's sovereignty... not about having all the answers; it's about knowing the One who does."
As I write a non-fiction memoir-devotional on ultramarathon running, I'm struck by parallels such as,
1) lost people vainly seeking absolution or pilgrimage penance via extreme shared self-flagellatory rituals which border on the self-destructive,
2) messed-up body chemistry putting folks into ecstatic, trance-like, even hallucinatory and dissociative states,
3) intersections with spiritual phenomena only partly explainable according to biochemistry, and often wholly beyond it (I can attest to this personally!), and,
4) spectators being drawn from horror to fascination to participation, often despite themselves.
Whatever the cause(s), one of the undergirding Biblical themes is the contrast between the rest we enjoy in Christ versus the perpetual restlessness of the evil one and his minions.