Ordeal by Ducking
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Ordeal by Ducking
ORDEAL BY DUCKING The suspect is bound and thrown into a river; if he drowns he is innocent, if he floats he is guilty
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Media ID 604718
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10050848
Bound Drowns Ducking Floats Guilty Innocent L Aw Ordeal Suspect Thrown Trial
EDITORS COMMENTS
Ordeal by Ducking" was a bizarre and inhumane legal practice that originated in Europe during the Middle Aages, and was used as a method of determining guilt or innocence in various criminal trials. The photograph depicts a suspenseful moment during this archaic trial, with a bound and helpless suspect about to be thrown into a river as part of the ordeal. The man's hands are tied behind his back, and his feet are secured with ropes, leaving him completely at the mercy of the water. The belief behind this ordeal was that if the accused was innocent, they would be saved by divine intervention and would float on the surface of the water. However, if they were guilty, they would be weighed down by their sins and would drown. This belief was rooted in the ancient belief that water had the power to distinguish between the guilty and the innocent. The scene depicted in the photograph is likely to have taken place in a river or a pond, and the trial would have been witnessed by a large crowd of onlookers. The outcome of the ordeal would have been considered a divine judgment, and the verdict would have been final. Ordeal by Ducking was a brutal and inhumane practice, and it is hard to imagine the fear and anxiety that the accused must have felt as they were thrown into the water. The photograph serves as a stark reminder of the dark and often brutal history of criminal trials, and the lengths that people were willing to go to in order to establish guilt or innocence. Despite the fact that this practice was eventually abolished, it is important to remember the historical significance of Ordeal by Ducking and the role it played in shaping the legal systems of Europe. The photograph is a powerful reminder of the human capacity for both cruelty and compassion, and the complex and often contradictory nature of justice throughout history.
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