10 forgotten and intriguing punishment from History
Militaries are always tough on people who don’t perform their duties properly. Repelling an enemy attack can depend on a single guard keeping watch, so people who slack off have to be taught to respect their positions.
An example of severe punishment for this offense can be found in the navy during King Henry VIII’s reign.
Men who fell asleep on watch were given three strikes, with each strike ramping up the punishment.
After the guard had fallen asleep for the fourth time, he was tied to the front of the boat in a basket and given food and a knife.
The guard could choose to starve to death or cut himself free and land in the open sea.
The punishment for the next offense involved a process known as grampussing.
Although records on this punishment are scarce, King Henry VIII gave these orders to his navy: “The second time he shall be armed, his hands held up by a rope and two buckets of water poured into his sleeves.”
When the water was poured down a man’s sleeves, he made a loud, gasping noise. This gasp was similar to the kind of sound made by a grampus (a kind of dolphin), which is how the punishment got its name.
Comments
Post a Comment