Saturday, May 2, 2015

Bridled

Today's post is aimed at the folks who no matter how good their lives might be going seem to ferret out something bad to dwell on...maybe after reading about this they will try to see more positive things in their lives.
In the late 16th and early 17th century there was a device known as a "Scold's Bridle" and assorted other named bridles,but all of the devices were utilized for the same purpose. A scold was a woman with a vicious tongue,meaning she caused a nuisance with neighbors or in some cases authorities,the male counterpart was referred to as a Barrator and was not only known for his loud voice,but also his brawling. To control these malcontents the bridle was employed as both a punishment and a humiliation. Adding insult to injury,some of the bridles sported spikes on the bit that in turn pierced both the tongue and the palate. Makes me wonder what all the protesters would feel like if their freedom of speech was literally taken from them.

No comments:

Post a Comment