MEDIEVAL WONDERS
What Was the Dancing Plague? Uncover the 10 Strangest Medieval Facts.
Published on June 29, 2024
Image: Gabriel Kiener
Although the Middle Ages often have bad press, it was actually a period of vast kingdoms and significant advancements in farming and architecture. That being said, the era also witnessed some truly bizarre and inexplicable events.
From peculiar dancing diseases to accounts of green children and even instances of corpses being put on trial, here we've compiled 10 of the strangest occurrences that took place during medieval times.
The Pig Trials
Image: Kenneth Schipper Vera
Let it not be said that the Middle Ages were lawless times. In fact, in medieval times, anyone could face the full weight of the law! And when we say anyone, we mean anyone. Animals, and particularly pigs for some reason, were occasionally put on trial for various crimes, including murder.
These trials reflected a bizarre legal belief in moral responsibility extending to all living beings, and as we'll explore in the next item, even non-living beings!
The Cadaver Courts
Image: Sabina Music Rich
Curiously, there were recurring instances where corpses were tried posthumously for their - real or alleged - crimes. Reflecting a mix of superstition and law, these trials sought justice beyond the grave.
Even members of the Church were not exempt from this bizarre practice. In the year 897, the corpse of the not-so-recently deceased Pope Formosus was exhumed and put on trial. His remains were dressed in papal robes, found guilty of perjury, and finally desecrated. To be fair, it was a time of intense political strife within the Church, but still.
The Toadstone Cure
Image: DIRK TOERIEN
Believed to be found in a toad’s head, the mythical toadstone was thought to cure poison and illness. In reality, toadstones had nothing to do with toads; they were often fashioned from the button-like fossilized teeth of a Jurassic ray-finned fish.
The association stemmed from the fact that toads have poison glands in their skin, leading to the assumption that they carried an antidote within their bodies, and it was believed that it took the form of a magical stone.
The Dog Saint
Image: Tonia Kraakman
The story of Saint Guinefort is actually quite sad. According to a popular legend, Guinefort the Greyhound belonged to a knight who lived in a castle near Lyon. One day, the knight went hunting and left his infant son in the care of the dog. Upon his return, he found the nursery in chaos, Guinefort with bloody jaws, and his son nowhere to be seen.
Assuming the worst and blinded by grief, the knight slew the poor dog, only to then hear his son crying next to the dead body of a viper, bloody from dog bites. Realizing his mistake, he buried the dog with honors and erected a shrine in its tomb. Soon, local peasants began treating the dog as a mystical healer and protector. A cult of the saint dog persisted for several centuries, despite several efforts by the Church to eradicate it.
The Children's Crusade
Image: Jens Auer
According to traditional accounts, in 1212, thousands of children set out from Europe, believing they could peacefully convert Muslims in the Holy Land. However, most never reached their destination, succumbing to starvation, slavery, or simply abandoning the journey due to its inherent hardships.
While the story likely emerged from a blend of factual events and myth, there are credible historical accounts describing similar events, particularly movements led by children rather than solely composed of them, such as the account of twelve-year-old French shepherd boy Stephen of Cloyes.
The Formosan Scam
Image: Angela Lo
In the 1700s, a Frenchman named George Psalmanazar claimed to be the first native from the exotic island of Formosa (modern Taiwan) to reach Europe. However, since he knew close to nothing about the real inhabitants of his supposed homeland, he completely fabricated a language and an entire culture.
For some years, he managed to convince many in Britain, but when it was eventually discovered that he was of European origin, he successfully rebranded himself as a theological essayist.
Flagellant Movements
Image: Annie Spratt
During the times of the Great Plague, many believed that the terrible disease was a punishment from God for their sins. Following this logic, groups known as flagellants would publicly whip themselves to atone for sins and try to appease divine wrath.
Marching crowds of self-harming fanatics would wander from town to town, gathering more penitents along the way. However, the practice often had the opposite effect intended, as it led to further spread of the disease through their gatherings. Soon, some towns realized that flagellants brought the plague to areas where it had not yet surfaced and began to deny them entry, which only intensified their physical penance.
The Green Children of Woolpit
Image: Annie Spratt
In 12th century England, during the reign of King Stephen, two children with green skin reportedly appeared in the small town of Woolpit. They spoke a language that nobody had heard before and only ate raw beans. Over time, their skin gradually returned to a normal color, but their mysterious origin remained unknown.
Historians have debated the tale's authenticity, suggesting that if it is to be taken seriously and not merely as folklore, the children could have been Flemish survivors from a recent battle near their hometown. It is also proposed that their unusual coloration could be attributed to a dietary deficiency acquired during their period of being lost and wandering for many days.
Trial by Ordeal
Image: Elimende Inagella
As we have seen, the medieval sense of justice was often bizarre, and rather extreme. Trials by ordeal, such as walking on hot coals or retrieving objects from boiling water, were quite popular. In these cases, survival or lack of injury was considered proof of innocence.
Similar to the method of trial by combat, it was regarded as a means of achieving the "judgment of God." However, in defense of medieval people, it should be noted that the practice was much older, dating back to the Code of Hammurabi, many millennia earlier.
Dancing Plague
Image: Ahmad Odeh
In one of history's most perplexing moments, around the year 1518, residents of the French medieval town of Strasbourg were suddenly gripped by a compulsive dancing epidemic. Dozens danced uncontrollably for days, and tragically, some even danced themselves to death.
While mass hysteria is still considered a probable cause, along with the possibility of a mass poisoning of some sort, some scientists speculate that it could have been triggered by a nervous system disorder known as Sydenham chorea, which can result from infection with certain bacterial strains. Symptoms include rapid and often uncoordinated jerking movements, primarily affecting the face, hands, and feet of those afflicted.
