The cat o' nine tails, commonly shortened to the cat, is a type of multi-tailed flail that originated as an implement for severe physical punishment, notably in the Royal Navy and British Army, and also as a judicial punishment in Britain and some other countries.
Why is it called a cat o '- nine tails?
A cat-o-nine tails is a whip. It consists of nine pieces of cord each tied with a series of knots. The device traditionally punished sailors in the British Royal Navy by whipping their bare backs. It is thought the cat-o-nine tails got its name from the 'scratches' it left on a man's back.
What is the name of the whip used to beat Jesus?
Before Christ was sent to be crucified, the Roman soldiers beat Him with this lead-tipped whip, called a flagrum or sometimes a flagellum. On studying the Shroud of Turin, scientists have determined that the flagrum used to whip Our Lord consisted of three seperate thongs, each ending in a set of two lead balls.
Who created cat of nine tails?
In 1833, Ernest Slade, Deputy Superintendent of Hyde Park Barracks introduced a new cat-o'-nine-tails that he boasted could draw the blood after only four lashes.Jul 12, 2017
How was a cat of nine tails made?
The 19th-century British naval cat was made out of a piece of rope, thicker than a man's wrist (about 2½ inches), five feet in length, three of which were stiff and solid stuff, and the remaining two feet unraveled into hard twisted and knotted ends.
How did cat of nine tails get its name?
A cat-o-nine tails is a whip. It consists of nine pieces of cord each tied with a series of knots. The device traditionally punished sailors in the British Royal Navy by whipping their bare backs. It is thought the cat-o-nine tails got its name from the 'scratches' it left on a man's back.
What is cat of nine tails used for?
Whips, scourges and cat-o'-nine-tails were used during the transatlantic slave trade by sailors to punish African captives on board ship. White sailors and soldiers in the British navy and army were also subject to flogging with the dreaded 'cat' until well into the 19th century.
Where did the cat of nine tails come from?
A cat o'nine tails is a whip with nine knotted lashes. Its origin is believed to date back to ancient Egypt, where the domestic cat was sacred and, even then, was said to have nine lives.