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Disciplinary
use, and torture
Flogging is an approximate synonym that was probably derived from
flagellum in the British navy, where flogging was a common disciplinary
measure that became associated with a seaman's manly disregard for
pain— a barbarian virtue that was picked up in English schoolboy
slang by the end of the 17th century.
Flagellation
probably originating in the Near East, but quickly spread throughout
the ancient world. In Sparta, young men were flogged as a test
of their manliness. The Jews limited flagellation to forty strokes,
and in practice delivered forty strokes minus one, so as to avoid
any possibility of breaking this law due to a miscount.
In
the Roman Empire, flagellation was often used as a prelude to crucifixion,
and in this context is sometimes referred to as scourging. Whips
with small pieces of metal or bone at the tips were commonly used.
In addition to causing severe pain, the victim would be made to
approach a state of hypovolemic shock, due to loss of blood.
The
Romans reserved this torture to non-citizens, as stated in the
lex Porcia and lex Sempronia, dating from 195 and 123 BC. The poet
Horace refers to the horribile flagellum (horrible whip) in his
Satires, calling for the end of its use. Typically, the one to
be punished was bound to a low pillar so that he could bend over
it. Two lictors (some reports indicate scourgings with four or
six lictors) alternated blows. There was no limit to the number
of blows inflicted—this was left to the lictors to decide,
though they were normally not supposed to kill the victim. Nonetheless,
Livy, Suetonius and Josephus report cases of flagellation victims
who died while still bound to the post. Flagellation was referred
to as "half death" by some authors, and apparently, many
died shortly thereafter. Cicero reports in In Verrem, "pro
mortuo sublatus brevi postea mortuus" (taken away for a dead
man, shortly thereafter he was dead). Often the victim was turned
over to allow flagellation on the chest, though this proceeded
with caution, as the possibility of inflicting a fatal blow was
much greater.
While
flagellation and other forms of corporal punishment are now forbidden
in most Western countries, flagellation is still a common form
of punishment around the world, particularly in Islamic countries. Australian penal colonies
While common in the British Army and British Royal Navy as a means
of discipline, flagellation also featured prominently in the British
penal colonies in early colonial Australia. Given that convicts in
Australia were already "imprisoned", punishments for offences
committed in the colonies could not usually result in imprisonment
and thus usually consisted of corporal punishment such as hard labour
or flagellation. Unlike Roman times, British law explicitly forbade
the combination of corporal and capital punishment, thus a convict
was either flogged or hanged but never both.
Flagellation
took place either with a single whip or more notoriously with the
cat o' nine tails. Typically the offender was suspended by the
hands beneath a tripod of wooden beams, while either one or two
floggers administered the prescribed number of strokes. During
the flogging, a doctor or other medical worker was consulted at
regular intervals as to the fitness of the prisoner - if the offender
had fainted from blood loss or suffered extreme skin and flesh
loss from the back, the punishment was usually then suspended until
such time that the offender had sufficiently healed. Once healed,
the remainder of the required strokes were administered. Punishment
was usually limited to 20, 50 or 100 strokes at one flogging, though
records exist of prisoners in Australian penal colonies such as
Norfolk Island or Port Arthur receiving more than 3,000 strokes
over a number of months or years.
Due
to its prevalence, flagellation featured prominently in the culture
of early colonial Australia. It was often a mark of pride for a
flogged former convict to "show his stripes" (expose
his flagellation scars) as an "iron man", or to hide
them at all costs if an emancipated convict attempting to rebuild
some semblance of a normal life in polite society. Children in
the Australian colonies were often observed playing at "flogging
games"
where a doll or another child would pretend to be "strung from
the triangles"
and whipped.See
also: History of Australia
Treatment of slaves - scars from flagellation
Slavery
Flagellation also featured prominently in the slave trade, particularly
slaves from Africa in the Americas. Flagellation was the customary
method (among other methods of torture) to ensure discipline and
obedience of slaves. This features in a number of popular culture
films about slavery such as Sankofa.
Association with religion
The Flagellation refers in a Christian context to the Flagellation
of Christ, an episode in Jesus' physical degradation leading to the
Crucifixion. (See Passion).The
fanatic practice of mortification of the flesh for religious purposes
includes the Christian Flagellant movements of the 13th century,
the present-day members of Opus Dei, and many Shias during the
festival of Ashura.
Erotic use
In the sexual sub-culture of BDSM, "flagellation" involves
beating the submissive partner. Such a flogging is not always delivered
with forceful blows, sometimes it is done with very soft blows repeated
a great many times so as to make the skin sensitive, so that the
softest impact can eventually feel very intense. Flogging for erotic
thrill, typically with implements such as whips, paddles, or canes,
has been called the "English vice." It is discussed with
other displaced eroticism at the entry for paraphilia.
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