12787. History Facts

In Ancient Rome, vestal virgins were young girls who served in a temple and could not be touched. If they committed a crime their punishment was to be buried alive as it could be done without anyone touching them.

12788. History Facts

The Romans had criminals torn apart by wild animals while the public watched. Dogs or lions were usually used, but sometimes more exotic animals were brought in.

12789. History Facts

The Roman king Tarquin crucified anyone who committed suicide – even though they were already dead – to show other people what would happen to their bodies if they did the same.

12790. History Facts

In the time of King Charles II of England, who reigned from 1649 to 1685, dead people had to buried in a shroud made of wool, to boost business for the wool trade.

12791. History Facts

In Anglo-Saxon England, people who died in a famine were eaten by their neighbours!

12792. History Facts

In 1740, a cow found guilty of witchcraft was hanged.

12793. History Facts

A medieval trial of guilt required a suspected criminal to plunge their hand into a pan of hot water and take out a stone, or carry a red-hot iron bar. The injured arm was bandaged and inspected after three days. If it was healed the person was considered innocent. If not, they were guilty and were punished.

12794. History Facts

The scarab beetle was treated as holy by the Ancient Egyptians. Scarab beetles roll themselves in a ball of faeces and lay their eggs in it.

12795. History Facts

In 167 BCE, a Roman commander had a group of soldiers trampled to death by elephants for deserting (running away from battle).

12796. History Facts

The Mongolian ruler Ghengis Khan imposed the death penalty for urinating in water because water was so precious in the Mongolian desert.

12797. History Facts

Lord Nelson (1758–1805) admiral of the English fleet, slept in a coffin in his cabin.The coffin was made from the mast of an enemy French ship.

12798. History Facts

The Spanish Inquisition was set up to find people who committed crimes against the church and its teachings. They often questioned and tortured people until they confessed. In the case of a child under 10, though, they could go straight to the torture and not bother with the questions.

12799. History Facts

In India, people used to believe that the eyes from a slow lorris – a nocturnal creature like a monkey with no tail – could work as a love potion.

12800. History Facts

An Ancient Egyptian cure for burns involved warming a frog in goat dung and applying it to the burn.

12801. History Facts

During the time of Henry VIII of England, who reigned from 1508 to 1547, the punishment for poisoners was to be boiled alive.

12802. History Facts

To make violin strings, the gut of a sheep – which could be 30 metres long (over 98 feet) in length – was removed intact. The blood, flesh and fat were then scraped off the outside, the halfdigested grass was squeezed out and it was washed out carefully. The wider end was used as sausage skins, the rest for violin strings.

12803. History Facts

The Roman emperor Valerian was captured by visigoths (a barbaric tribe) invading Rome in 260 CE, who skinned him alive and then displayed the skin as a signal of their triumph.

12804. History Facts

Ancient Greeks used to blow up a pig's bladder like a balloon and use it as a ball.

12805. History Facts

An Anglo-Saxon cure for baldness was to rub the ash from burnt bees into the head.

12806. History Facts

Soldiers fighting in the trenches in World War I often suffered from trench foot (spending too long in cold, wet trenches made their feet rot). Some had to have their feet amputated because of it…

Phobia
Phobia :
maniaphobia : fear of insanity.      .. More >>