EBOOK

The History of Gibbeting

Britain's Most Brutal Punishment

Samantha Priestley
4
(1)
Pages
160
Year
2021
Language
English

About

An eye-opening guide to the public execution practice of hanging criminals in body-shaped cages as a crime deterrent or religious punishment.

The history of gibbeting is the story of one of Britain's most brutal forms of punishments, the hanging of criminals in a body shaped metal cage as a warning and as a form of justice. From the folklore of live gibbetings to the eerie historical documenting of this weird post-execution tradition, The History of Gibbeting examines how and why we dealt with murderers and other serious criminals in this way. The book uses case studies through history and takes a look at how the introduction of the Murder Act shaped our relationship with gibbeting for years to come, and how we as a society demanded the most shocking post-mortem treatment of criminals. Whether gibbeting was ever a successful deterrent, it is still a fascination today and gibbet cages remain on display in museums all over the country.

Related Subjects

Artists