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In an Alternate Universe, one can only Hope They had a Different Timeline for their Pandemics
Footloose tells the tale of a pandemic that is now long forgotten – which is a good thing, for we’d all be envious that we got stuck living through covid instead of the Dancing Pandemic!
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Largely misunderstood
And tucked away in some corner of the dance floor of history, are a series of small plagues/pandemics that occurred in Europe from 7th century to the 17th century. One of the most well known of these took place in 1518 in France!
Those afflicted by this pandemic
Would dance for days, to the point of exhaustion and seemed to be in an alternate state of consciousness. It was rumoured some would indeed ‘dance till they’re dead’, but for the most part it seemed this condition would eventually resolve on it’s own with few fatalities.
No one is quite sure what caused this pandemic.
There were many theories, that included spider bites, demonic possession, or even directly blaming Satan. Contemporary historians have theorized that the cause could have been ergot poisoning, or mass psychosis from the miserable conditions of life at the time, but I have another theory.
Was the dancing plague/pandemic the original ‘Footloose’?
In such repressive times, dancing would have often been frowned upon, probably by the same people who tried to cure the dancers with an exorcism. Fortunately, it was most often ‘cured’ by allowing the dancing to run it’s course. Many magistrates even provided the music to help dancers ‘shimmy’ the sickness away!
I am sure they too were tapping their feet.
So if I have to live through another pandemic, I choose this one! Maybe we could exchange covid for this one?
You can check out more raku pottery vases here, and I hope you all have a melodious day!