scourge
Sign in to savethumb|right|upright|Medical examination photo of Gordon (slave)|Gordon showing his scourged back, widely distributed by Abolitionists to expose the brutality of slavery. A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather.
Article
15 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Description
- History
- Symbol of Osiris
- Use by the priests of Cybele
- Flagellation of Jesus and other Roman uses
- Use to enforce discipline in Christian monasteries
- Use for punishment in canon law
- Flagellants and use by royalty for self-discipline
- Metaphorical Usage
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|right|upright|Medical examination photo of Gordon (slave)|Gordon showing his scourged back, widely distributed by Abolitionists to expose the brutality of slavery. A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather.
==Etymology== The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French escorgier - "to whip", going further back to the Vulgar Latin excorrigiare: the Latin prefix ex- "out, off" with its additional English meaning of "thoroughly", plus corrigia - "thong", or in this case "whip". Some connect it to , "to flay", built of two Latin parts, ex- ("off") and , "skin".