Alaina

So we're going to start way back. This was on Christmas Eve in 1021 CE. Oh, shit. Way back. This is where it begins. So this small German town called Kolbigt. I looked up all these pronunciations, so don't come for me. No, you always kill the pronunciations. I try. Sometimes I kill it the other way. So 18 of the town's residents gathered outside of the church and started dancing.

So we're going to start way back. This was on Christmas Eve in 1021 CE. Oh, shit. Way back. This is where it begins. So this small German town called Kolbigt. I looked up all these pronunciations, so don't come for me. No, you always kill the pronunciations. I try. Sometimes I kill it the other way. So 18 of the town's residents gathered outside of the church and started dancing.

Just started dancing and carrying on with wild abandon. And the noise from these dancers made it impossible for the priest to deliver mass. So he went outside and he started to reprimand the group. And they were just seeming completely oblivious to him. Like it wasn't like they were ignoring him. They just like didn't even know he was there. Just kept going.

Just started dancing and carrying on with wild abandon. And the noise from these dancers made it impossible for the priest to deliver mass. So he went outside and he started to reprimand the group. And they were just seeming completely oblivious to him. Like it wasn't like they were ignoring him. They just like didn't even know he was there. Just kept going.

And rather than heed the priest's words, which at that time people would heed that priest's words. Yeah, you had to. They just continued dancing and clapping and leaping. And they were forming what would later be documented to be called a ring dance of sin. Oh, obsessed. Which I kind of love.

And rather than heed the priest's words, which at that time people would heed that priest's words. Yeah, you had to. They just continued dancing and clapping and leaping. And they were forming what would later be documented to be called a ring dance of sin. Oh, obsessed. Which I kind of love.

Where do I sign up for the ring dance of sin? So according to the legend, the priest, who was very angry, very incensed about the interruption and disrespect, quite frankly, cursed them all to dance for the entire year, and none of them were able to regain control of their bodies until the following Christmas. What? Wait, the priest did this? Which I didn't realize priests could curse people.

Where do I sign up for the ring dance of sin? So according to the legend, the priest, who was very angry, very incensed about the interruption and disrespect, quite frankly, cursed them all to dance for the entire year, and none of them were able to regain control of their bodies until the following Christmas. What? Wait, the priest did this? Which I didn't realize priests could curse people.

He was like, oh, you want to dance? You're going to dance until next Christmas. Yeah. Wow. And they did. And by the time the curse was ended, the group was exhausted and reportedly fell into a deep sleep. And a lot of them never woke up from that deep sleep. So they died. So he just straight up killed some of them.

He was like, oh, you want to dance? You're going to dance until next Christmas. Yeah. Wow. And they did. And by the time the curse was ended, the group was exhausted and reportedly fell into a deep sleep. And a lot of them never woke up from that deep sleep. So they died. So he just straight up killed some of them.

None of that. In fact, many of these dancing plagues, food, bathroom breaks, sleep, don't happen. They just dance through it, and that's how most of them die. There's deaths that come out of these. Are they just peeing all over themselves?

None of that. In fact, many of these dancing plagues, food, bathroom breaks, sleep, don't happen. They just dance through it, and that's how most of them die. There's deaths that come out of these. Are they just peeing all over themselves?

It's reckless. Whatever is happening there...

It's reckless. Whatever is happening there...

I guess so. Or they would join, I think, maybe. Others would join. So given, you know, how old the story is, obviously, I'm sure there's been some embellishments. Yeah. But according to historian John Waller, there was nothing in the story that medieval people found hard to believe. Right. They're like, yeah, whatever. Yeah, people probably would dance themselves for a year to death.

I guess so. Or they would join, I think, maybe. Others would join. So given, you know, how old the story is, obviously, I'm sure there's been some embellishments. Yeah. But according to historian John Waller, there was nothing in the story that medieval people found hard to believe. Right. They're like, yeah, whatever. Yeah, people probably would dance themselves for a year to death.

Because it was a society that was very accustomed to assigning supernatural explanations to literally anything they couldn't understand. So the idea of such crazy behavior being the result of a curse from a holy man was like, yeah. Obviously. Yeah. That's what happened. And as he points out, plenty of sources indicate that this obscure chronicler may have embellished a real event.

Because it was a society that was very accustomed to assigning supernatural explanations to literally anything they couldn't understand. So the idea of such crazy behavior being the result of a curse from a holy man was like, yeah. Obviously. Yeah. That's what happened. And as he points out, plenty of sources indicate that this obscure chronicler may have embellished a real event.

So there was truth to this. Basically, the details might have been a little bit exaggerated, but that like manic and like uncontrollable dance that they were doing probably happened because it has happened.

So there was truth to this. Basically, the details might have been a little bit exaggerated, but that like manic and like uncontrollable dance that they were doing probably happened because it has happened.