What was keelhauling, and how was it used as a punishment in the maritime world history?




The origins of keelhauling are uncertain, but it is believed to have been used by the Vikings and other seafaring cultures. It was later adopted by European navies, including the Dutch, British, and Spanish. The practice was eventually banned by most navies in the 19th century due to its cruel and inhumane nature.

The punishment was often carried out in front of the entire crew as a warning to others, and the severity of the punishment could be increased by adding weights to the person being punished or by repeating the process multiple times. It was a particularly effective punishment because it was both painful and humiliating, and could lead to serious injury or death.

While keelhauling was generally reserved for sailors, it was also used on prisoners and slaves who were being transported on ships. In these cases, it was often used as a method of torture or execution, and was even used by pirates to extract information from their captives.
Keelhauling, A form of punishment that was used on ships during the age of sail. It involves dragging a person along the length of the ship, under the keel (the bottom of the ship), by tying a rope to their legs and pulling them from one end to the other. The keel was often covered in barnacles, which would cut and scrape the person being punished, causing serious injury or death. Keelhauling was used as a punishment for a variety of offenses, including disobeying orders, stealing, or fighting.

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