Donkey
Punishment donkey on the market square of Thorn
The donkey , also known as the punishment donkey , was an instrument used to display and punish people.
Structure and use
The donkey consisted of two boards that were fastened together at an acute angle. In some designs, the back of the donkey was made of sharp-edged iron . In the front there was usually a donkey's head stuffed with straw. The delinquents were put on this "donkey". Depending on the severity of their offense, weights were then tied to their feet.
As a rule, soldiers came on the donkey for minor offenses, but "bad married couples" were also put on the punishment donkey . The punishment donkey was used to punish minor crimes in public places, such as in marketplaces or in front of town halls . It usually stood next to the pillory .
See also
literature
- Diether Blüm : If stones could tell ... the publisher of the weekly newspaper Der Bensemer.
- Dietmar Sauermann : Thomas donkey, donkey ride and punishment donkey. In: Hessian sheets for folklore. 61/1970, pp. 69-78.
- Ingeborg Bayer : The vicious circle. Wuerzburg 1968.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ AE Strack among other things: Hessian sheets for folklore. W. Schmitz Verlag, 1902