Saxon slave whip is star of exhibit

[Legs]

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20051121/i/ra3835162572.jpg?x=180&y=255&sig=J9Aq8dpkacbeepHWpCyjPg--

A 1,000-year-old multi-tailed leather whip that was initially associated with the sex trade but more recently identified as a slave scourge is one of the stars of a new exhibition.

The whip, whose knotted thongs are reminiscent of the later cat o'nine tails used to discipline navy defaulters, was found during excavations of the rubbish pit of a London house dating back to the late Saxon period between 900 and 1050 AD.

More (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051121/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_medieval;_ylt=AkEiABCPfm2Rp_F6AVGkq.ntiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--)

[livius drusus]

It looks like a fascinating exhibit, Legs. I hope some of our Londoners/environs have the opportunity to check it out and report back.

Incidentally, how great is this line from the article: "not only was there widespread drunkenness on the streets of the city but unbecoming vistas of vast beer bellies." Some things never change. :giggle:

[fragment]

I think I'll pop along to check it out. I've been meaning to head back to the London Museum for a while, as it happens. I quite like it, in part because a lot of the exhibits are of artifacts of the lives of ordinary people of past times, as opposed to the great art of the upper classes which some other museums tend to focus on. While the latter are awe-inspiring and beautiful, they don't give you as much of a glimpse into what most people's lives were actually like, compared to something mundane like a shoe or a blacksmith's toolkit. Or a slave whip, for that matter.

[livius drusus]

That's the impression I got from the description in the article, fragment -- much social history -- but I didn't realize such exhibits are a London Museum specialty. Very cool.

[fragment]

Here's the Museum of London page on the exhibition (http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/MOLsite/gallery/medieval/pages/c_closure.asp)
Download the press pack (pdf) and check out the 14th century pointy shoes, loaded dice from the 16th century, and more.

[Jesus Christ]

I like how they note that it was a sex tool before a punishment tool. I like that.

[livius drusus]

I thought they just suspected it was a sexual device, but then realized from its location that in all likelihood it was for slave punishment.

[Jesus Christ]

I thought they just suspected it was a sexual device, but then realized from its location that in all likelihood it was for slave punishment.
Thanks for shitting on my parade. :pout: :sadcheer: ;)

[livius drusus]

Hey, at least I didn't ballgag you. This time.

[Trojan]

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20051121/i/ra3835162572.jpg?x=180&y=255&sig=J9Aq8dpkacbeepHWpCyjPg--

A 1,000-year-old multi-tailed leather whip that was initially associated with the sex trade but more recently identified as a slave scourge is one of the stars of a new exhibition.

The whip, whose knotted thongs are reminiscent of the later cat o'nine tails used to discipline navy defaulters, was found during excavations of the rubbish pit of a London house dating back to the late Saxon period between 900 and 1050 AD.

More (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051121/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_medieval;_ylt=AkEiABCPfm2Rp_F6AVGkq.ntiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--)
Now that's a wicked looking Christ Thrasher!