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A Time to Dance, a Time to Die
A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518 | John Waller
14 posts | 7 read | 2 reading | 28 to read
In July 1518 a 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. This title offers an account of the events of 1518 and explains why Strasbourg's dancing plague took place.
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rachelsbrittain
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Reading at the spa--could there be anything better?

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome ❤️ 12mo
Yuki_Onna Beautiful👏 12mo
43 likes2 comments
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rachelsbrittain
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rachelsbrittain
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Hoping to finish this one before the end of the month

dabbe Look at da cute pup behind the cushions! 🖤🐾🖤 12mo
Hooked_on_books 🐶❤️ 12mo
41 likes1 stack add2 comments
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rachelsbrittain
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My #WeekendReads . What are you reading this weekend?

29 likes1 stack add
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rachelsbrittain
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I've always been fascinated by historical dancing plagues, so I'm excited to get into this nonfiction book about the 1518 dancing plague of Strasbourg and it's underlying causes set in the historical context.

GondorGirl I'm looking forward to your review in this one! 13mo
42 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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jenniferw88
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mabell That was frightening! Dancing isn‘t all fun and games! 3y
CoverToCoverGirl Fascinating! 3y
CrowCAH What?! I am so confused. What took over them that they could not stop dancing?! 3y
jenniferw88 @CrowCAH according to my Dad, they were 'religious nutters'! 😂 3y
CrowCAH @jenniferw88 oooohh 😆 3y
62 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Pedrocamacho
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Pickpick

This is just a quick read on the outbreaks of dancing plague in Central Europe in the early 16th century (and before). People danced in a trace-like state. Hundreds died during the most famous outbreak in 1518.

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Mistermandolin
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Pickpick

As odd and awful as our own current pandemic is, this rich evocation of the ills that plagued late medieval society does much to put it in perspective. Here, Waller delivers a gripping account of a strange condition that literally caused its sufferers to dance themselves to death. A disease as odd, in its own way, as the one which continues to grip us. Maybe all plagues are strange. And haven‘t we been dancing ourselves to death for a long time?

Libby1 Excellent review. 4y
Mistermandolin @Libby1 Thank you, Libby. I‘m a writer, in case I haven‘t told you already. Well, I don‘t flatter myself: I dabble, let‘s say. No more than that. I‘m at www.markfox.co.uk if you‘re curious. 4y
23 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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jenniferw88
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I probably should have used The Great Gatsby for #dancemetotheendoflove but thought this was a better pick. @julesG are you aware of this book?! (It's based in Germany 16th century history)

#timbittunes @Cinfhen @TheKidUpstairs

Lel2403 I‘ve just finished Jack the Ripper....loved it. I think this was my favourite of all the LMPBC books...appealed to the book nerd in me 💕 6y
jenniferw88 @Lel2403 yay! 😊😊😊 You'll probably enjoy the series (I think this was book #7). Book #1 is 6y
jenniferw88 @Lel2403 and I think Seventeen was my favourite LMPBC pick too! 6y
See All 12 Comments
Lel2403 @jenniferw88 great minds think alike-ish 😂....I‘m going to look for the other Brandreth books now too 6y
Cinfhen Looks good!! 6y
Cinfhen And Gatsby would have been an awesome pick too 😍 6y
julesG Thanks for the tag. I didn't know about this book. But I'll look into it. 6y
TheKidUpstairs Woah, sounds fascinating! 6y
TheKidUpstairs (And reminds me of a Buffy episode, which is always good, right @monalyisha ?) 6y
monalyisha @TheKidUpstairs A demon is clearly the only explanation. 6y
TheKidUpstairs @monalyisha or bunnies 🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇😂 6y
78 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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blithebuoyant
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#danceuntilyoudie #octoberputaspellonyou

I didn‘t really know what to put for this but years ago, when I was really into hitRECord, I read a short story about the dancing plague of 1518 and I tell you, it still makes me sad to think about it 😭

37 likes1 stack add
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MirrorMask
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In the summer of 1518, possibly 100 people dance to their deaths in one of the most bizarre and terrifying plagues in history.

#OctoberPutASpellOnYou
#DanceUntilYouDie @vkois88 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

DivineDiana This sounds unbelievable! 😳 6y
Crazeedi Looks really good! I've heard of this before, the disease that is 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😱😱 looks interesting!! 6y
vkois88 Whaaaaat??? Sounds crazy and yet awesome at the same time 6y
Linsy I need this!!! 6y
86 likes7 stack adds5 comments
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Librarybelle
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Is it wrong that the first book I thought of for #letsdance is about a true affliction that occurred in the 1500s? This has been on my to read list for years...I really need to read this! One day, in a small village, villagers started dancing. And couldn't stop. This occurred elsewhere, but what would cause people to just keep dancing? It's really a medical affliction, and Waller talks about it. #septembowie

monalyisha This is 100% a Buffy episode. ⚰️ (Is there a documented medical affliction that causes a person to relate everything in her life to Buffy? I think I caught it somewhere back in the late 90's. 🤔) 7y
Cinfhen Hahaha @monalyisha book sounds fascinating @Librarybelle 💙 7y
DivineDiana All I can say is Wow! 💃🏻🕺 7y
53 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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miserybookchick
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Another non-fic for the tbr ? the worst habit ive developed this year is buying non-fics "oooo it sounds SOOO interesting" and then it sits on my shelf for months ???

Phroop This actually does sound really interesting though! 7y
10 likes1 comment
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HannahM995
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"All it then took was for one or a few people, believing themselves to have been cursed by St Vitus, to slip into a hysterical dance. They would unconsciously act out the part of the accursed: dancing wildly and uncontrollably for days on end" pg. 92

danistclair Lovely shot! 8y
DebinHawaii Gorgeous picture! Welcome to Litsy! 🎉📚👍😀 8y
HannahM995 Thank you!! 8y
5 likes1 stack add3 comments