Editing Medieval dance (section)

===Central Europe===
[[Image:Runkelstein 3363.JPG|thumb|Fresco at Runkelstein Castle, [[South Tyrol]], Italy]]

The same dance in Germany was called "Reigen" and may have originated from devotional dances at early Christian festivals. Dancing around the church or a fire was frequently denounced by church authorities which only underscores how popular it was. There are records of church and civic officials in various German towns forbidding dancing and singing from the 8th to the 10th centuries.<ref>{{cite book|title=Handbuch des Deutschen Volktanzes|last=Goldschmidt|first=Aenne|location=Wilhelmshaven|publisher=Heinrichshofen|year=1978|page=27}}</ref><ref name=fyfe>{{cite book|title=Dances of Germany|last=Fyfe|first=Agnes|location=London|publisher=Max Parrish|year=1951|pages=8–9}}</ref> Once again, in singing processions, the leader provided the verse and the other dancers supplied the chorus.<ref name="sachs271"/><ref name=fyfe/> The [[minnesinger]] [[Neidhart von Reuental]], who lived in the first half of the 13th century wrote several songs for dancing, some of which use the term "reigen".<ref>{{cite web |title=Minnesang: Neidhart von Reuental |url=http://www.deutsche-liebeslyrik.de/minnesang/minnesang_neidhart_von_reuental2.htm |publisher=Deutsche Liebeslyrik |access-date=20 January 2025 |language=de}}</ref>

In southern Tyrol, at [[Runkelstein Castle]], a series of frescos was executed in the last years of the 14th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.runkelstein.info/runkelstein_en/history.asp|title=Runkelstein Castle – The illustrated castle A short history|access-date=2010-11-14|publisher=[[Runkelstein Castle]]}}</ref> One of the frescos depicts [[Elisabeth of Poland, Queen of Hungary]] leading a chain dance.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hungarian Folk Dances|last=Martin|first=György|location=Budapest|publisher=Corvina Press|year=1974|page=17}}</ref>

Circle dances were also found in the area that is today the [[Czech Republic]]. Descriptions and illustrations of dancing can be found in church registers, chronicles and the 15th century writings of [[Bohuslav Hasištejnský z Lobkovic]]. Dancing was primarily done around trees on the village green but special houses for dancing appear from the 14th century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Dances of Czechoslovakia|last=Lubinová|first=Mila|location=New York|publisher=Chanticleer Press|year=1949|page=8}}</ref> In [[Poland]] as well the earliest village dances were in circles or lines accompanied by the singing or clapping of the participants.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dziewanowska|first=Ada|title=Polish Folk Dances and Songs|location=New York|publisher=Hippocrene|year=1997|page=26|isbn=0-7818-0420-5}}</ref>