History Revealed

GODLY BUTCHERY

“Being hanged, drawn and quartered was a multifaceted process of humiliation, performed in front of large, eager crowds”

In 1241, a man named William Marise, the son of an English nobleman, was convicted of piracy. His punishment was to be publicly ripped apart into four pieces.

It was known then as ‘godly butchery’ or ‘three deaths’. Today, we recognise this gruesome method of execution – one that was unique to England and is synonymous with the medieval

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