ABSTRACT
The important question, What is the proper and most effective instrument for inflicting a whipping? has long been a matter of controversy. Of the almost endless variety, of instruments that, at various stages of the world’s history, have been used for this purpose, some were no doubt the product of long and thoughtful invention; while others were improvised and suggested by the circumstances and urgency of the moment. Angry dominies, unable to lay their hands on the usual instrument of correction, have been known to seize their hat, towel, ruler, or, in fact, the first weapon that could by any possibility be applied. Among saints, Dominic Loricatus thrashed himself with besoms (birch, we presume); St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order, used an iron chain; Gaulbert had his knotted leather thong; and others employed nettles and thistles. In the “Golden Legend” we read of a saint who had no discipline of his own, but who did not on that account neglect to perform the penance, of flagellation—his custom being to take the poker, or the tongs, or any like instrument that came handy. St. Bridget disciplined herself with a bunch of keys, and another female saint, commonly reported to perform remarkably severe flagellation on herself, was found to have Whipping Implements. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315828688/8a398d74-59c7-450a-b18c-86f75b873224/content/fig478a_1_B.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>
