How Were Women Punished For Treason In The World And In Russia Before?

Cheating is condemned by society, leads to scandal and separation, sometimes even to assault. Crime statistics also show that jealous killings are, unfortunately, an integral part of our reality.

The content of the article

• 1 Myths about cheating prevention
• 2 In Europe
• 3 In Asia
• 4 Elsewhere on Earth
• 5 And what do we have?

We are confident that our readers are able to resolve peacefully even such a difficult life situation. How was it solved in the past? In this article, we will talk about what punishments for adultery were practiced in the past in different countries. This article is not for the faint of heart, so read it at your own risk! We have warned.

Myths about cheating prevention

For a start, a few words can be said that some of the methods of preventing cheating, known from popular culture, did not actually work. For example, the myth about the chastity belt, which was allegedly put on their wives by knights who went on a crusade. Such devices did exist, but their use, even for several days, would have a detrimental effect on a woman's health.

In medieval times, genital injury and blood poisoning would have been virtually guaranteed. At the moment, historians suggest that the main field of application of these devices was to protect women from rape, and they were used only for a short time.

But the use of servants or slaves-eunuchs, watching over the safety of women and guarding their chastity, is a documented fact. True, not everyone could afford such a luxury, and not always. But back to the punishments …

In Europe2

The most humane punishment for a woman for treason was imprisonment in a monastery for the rest of her life. What is humane here? Against the background of other punishments, the monastery looks the most attractive, because otherwise the woman could have her nose, ears, lips cut off, or even simply burned at the stake in order to “cleanse the sinful soul”.

Often, adultery was considered a more serious crime than murder. So, for example, in medieval Denmark the death penalty was the punishment for treason, when it was enough to pay a fine for killing a person. The Germans preferred to quarter the traitors, and the Greeks generally offered anyone who wanted to kill the guilty in any cruel way he wanted.

The inhabitants of the Roman Empire were more lenient towards traitors, they were sold in the market like slaves. However, if a sadist bought the traitor, everything could end badly, because the life of a slave completely belonged to the owner, and no one could prevent him from doing whatever he wanted with his property. Later, the Romans still abandoned the practice of selling traitors and began to prefer cutting off the nose.

In Asia3

Compared to Thai customs, the usual death penalty seems like an easy deliverance. The traitor was fixed in a special cage, after which they gave her to a heated elephant, and the elephant raped the woman in front of the whole city. Despite the fact that formally it was not considered a death penalty, it was impossible to survive after such an execution, the traitor died in terrible agony either in the process or shortly after its completion.

The Chinese preferred another execution: the traitor was smeared with fat and thrown into a pit with hungry dogs, who tore her to pieces and ate. However, a severe punishment for adultery in the form of two years in prison with confiscation of property exists in China today. And in medieval Mongolia, close to China, the traitor was simply chopped in two, without ceremony.

Koreans distinguished themselves by another painful execution for unfaithful wives. The traitor was forced to drink vinegar, and when the body was swollen from this, they began to beat to death. Internal organs, damaged by acid, turned into mush from the blows, and the woman died in agony.

But in Islamic countries, contrary to popular belief, cruel execution with stoning of a traitor was not always practiced. Sometimes they were limited to public flogging or imprisonment. True, similar traditions exist in many of these countries today.

The inhabitants of Burma distinguished themselves by a specific punishment for the traitors. Here there is a tradition of putting rings on girls' necks, the number of which is increasing every year, due to which the neck stretches and is no longer able to hold the head without these rings. As punishment for treason, the rings are removed from the woman, and she dies of a broken neck.

Elsewhere on Earth4

The Canadian Indians did not believe that death was due for treason, because the unfaithful wives were simply scalped. But the aborigines of New Guinea blamed for treason not on their wives, but on their lovers, whose heads were cut off in the square. Before the execution, the culprit was obliged to eat the finger of the woman whom he seduced, and with this mark the traitor lived all her life, and any stranger would immediately find out about her past sinner.

Is it unpleasant to read about the tradition of cannibalism? But the Guax-Toliam tribe excelled even more. The leader dismembered the still living traitor, and she was eaten by the whole tribe.

What do we have? 5

Pagan Russia was distinguished by its tolerance for treason, and the most cruel punishment for it was expulsion from home. However, during some pagan holidays, sex with other men and women was not considered treason at all, so those who wanted to satisfy their fantasies about other people's wives could do it once a year. By mutual agreement, of course. With the advent of Christianity, the situation changed, the church punished severely for treason, up to the execution of both lovers, and the sixth commandment "Thou shalt not kill" did not save from this.