Boiling to death
Encyclopedia
Death by boiling is a method of execution in which a person is killed by being immersed in a boiling
liquid such as water or oil. While not as common as other methods of execution, boiling to death has been used in many parts of Europe
and Asia
. In some cases the church used it as torture as they were not allowed to spill blood.
or a sealed kettle
that was filled with a liquid such as water, oil, tar
, or tallow
. Depending on the intended cruelty, the victim was either immersed before the liquid was heated or plunged, usually head first, into a boiling liquid. In some cases, the executioner
could control the speed of demise by raising or lowering the victim by means of a hook and pulley
system.
An alternative method was to use a large shallow receptacle that contained oil, tallow or pitch. The victim, who was then partially immersed in the liquid, was fried to death.
Death in these cases
was by severe scalding caused by the hot liquids (water or oil). Immersion burns would form on the arms, torso and legs. Prolonged scalding
would result in anything up to fourth- degree burns of the skin
. The epidermis and the dermis
are destroyed leading to the complete breakdown of subcutaneous fat. Eventually the heat would expose muscle leading to breaches in major arteries and veins.
, the kettle that was used for boiling criminals to death can still be seen.
, statute 22 passed in 1532 by Henry VIII
, made boiling a legal form of capital punishment. It began to be used for murderers who used poison
s after the Bishop of Rochester's
cook gave a number of people poisoned porridge
, resulting in two deaths in February 1532. It was employed again in 1542 for a woman who used poison.
Pomponio Algerio
(1531, Nola – 22 August 1556, Rome), a civil law student at the University of Padua
, was boiled in oil on August 22, 1556 in the Piazza Navona
after refusing to conform to church doctrine.
This form of capital punishment was also used for counterfeiters, swindlers and coin forgers during the Middle Ages
.
In 16th century Japan, the semi-legendary Japan
ese bandit Ishikawa Goemon
was boiled alive in a large iron kettle-shaped bathtub. His public execution, which might have included his entire family, was done after he failed to kill
warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi
.
In 1675, a Sikh
martyr
, called Bhai Dayala
, was boiled to death in Delhi
after he refused to accept Islam
. He was put into a cauldron
full of cold water which was then heated to boiling point. Sikh scriptures record that Dayala recited the Japji of Guru Nanak and the Sukhmani
of Guru Arjan as he died.
under the regime of Islam Karimov have boiled a number of political dissidents. The British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray
, explains in his memoir Murder in Samarkand
that he obtained photos of the corpse of Muzafar Avazov
and sent them to a forensic pathologist in Britain, who concluded that the visible injuries were consistent with a living person having been immersed in boiling water.
and Dan Piraro
's depiction of Martha Stewart
.
In Kyle Onstott
's novel Mandingo, a slave, who slept with and impregnated his master's wife, was killed in a tub of boiling water.
James Clavell
's novel Shogun
contains a description of the practice.
Boiling
Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding environmental pressure. While below the boiling point a liquid...
liquid such as water or oil. While not as common as other methods of execution, boiling to death has been used in many parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In some cases the church used it as torture as they were not allowed to spill blood.
Usage
Executions of this type were often carried out using a large vessel such as a cauldronCauldron
A cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.- Etymology :...
or a sealed kettle
Kettle
A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a small kitchen appliance used for boiling water. Kettles can be heated either by placing on a stove, or by their own electric heating element.- Stovetop kettles :...
that was filled with a liquid such as water, oil, tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
, or tallow
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
. Depending on the intended cruelty, the victim was either immersed before the liquid was heated or plunged, usually head first, into a boiling liquid. In some cases, the executioner
Executioner
A judicial executioner is a person who carries out a death sentence ordered by the state or other legal authority, which was known in feudal terminology as high justice.-Scope and job:...
could control the speed of demise by raising or lowering the victim by means of a hook and pulley
Pulley
A pulley, also called a sheave or a drum, is a mechanism composed of a wheel on an axle or shaft that may have a groove between two flanges around its circumference. A rope, cable, belt, or chain usually runs over the wheel and inside the groove, if present...
system.
An alternative method was to use a large shallow receptacle that contained oil, tallow or pitch. The victim, who was then partially immersed in the liquid, was fried to death.
Death in these cases
Total body surface area
Total body surface area is an assessment measure of burns of the skin. In adults, the "rule of nines" is used to determine the total percentage of area burned for each major section of the body...
was by severe scalding caused by the hot liquids (water or oil). Immersion burns would form on the arms, torso and legs. Prolonged scalding
Burn
A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...
would result in anything up to fourth- degree burns of the skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
. The epidermis and the dermis
Dermis
The dermis is a layer of skin between the epidermis and subcutaneous tissues, and is composed of two layers, the papillary and reticular dermis...
are destroyed leading to the complete breakdown of subcutaneous fat. Eventually the heat would expose muscle leading to breaches in major arteries and veins.
Historical practice
Due to the rarity of such an event, these types of executions usually attracted larger crowds than for a hanging or beheading. In the Dutch town of DeventerDeventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
, the kettle that was used for boiling criminals to death can still be seen.
Europe
In EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, statute 22 passed in 1532 by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, made boiling a legal form of capital punishment. It began to be used for murderers who used poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
s after the Bishop of Rochester's
John Fisher
Saint John Fisher was an English Roman Catholic scholastic, bishop, cardinal and martyr. He shares his feast day with Saint Thomas More on 22 June in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and 6 July on the Church of England calendar of saints...
cook gave a number of people poisoned porridge
Porridge
Porridge is a dish made by boiling oats or other cereal meals in water, milk, or both. It is usually served hot in a bowl or dish...
, resulting in two deaths in February 1532. It was employed again in 1542 for a woman who used poison.
Pomponio Algerio
Pomponio Algerio
Pomponio Algerio was a civil law student at the University of Padua whose radical theological beliefs attracted the attention of the Roman Inquisition. At his trial, he wore his academic hat and gown to remind the tribunal that, as a student, he had the right to freely express his ideas...
(1531, Nola – 22 August 1556, Rome), a civil law student at the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
, was boiled in oil on August 22, 1556 in the Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona is a city square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones , and hence it was known as 'Circus Agonalis'...
after refusing to conform to church doctrine.
This form of capital punishment was also used for counterfeiters, swindlers and coin forgers during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
Asia
In Mongolia, during the 12th and 13th centuries, defeated khans were sometimes boiled alive. This was one method of execution that would not violate the taboo against needlessly spilling the blood of a noble, and yet a death in water was also considered one of the worst possible deaths.In 16th century Japan, the semi-legendary Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese bandit Ishikawa Goemon
Ishikawa Goemon
was a semi-legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and valuables and gave them to the poor. Goemon is notable for being boiled alive along with his son in public after a failed assassination attempt on the civil war-era warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A large iron kettle-shaped bathtub is now...
was boiled alive in a large iron kettle-shaped bathtub. His public execution, which might have included his entire family, was done after he failed to kill
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
.
In 1675, a Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
, called Bhai Dayala
Bhai Dayala
Bhai Dyala ji was one of the earliest and great Martyrs to the Sikh faith. Along with his companions Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das as well as Ninth Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur ji, Bhai Dayala was martyred at Chandni Chowk at Delhi in November 1675 on account of his refusal to barter his...
, was boiled to death in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
after he refused to accept Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. He was put into a cauldron
Cauldron
A cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.- Etymology :...
full of cold water which was then heated to boiling point. Sikh scriptures record that Dayala recited the Japji of Guru Nanak and the Sukhmani
Sukhmani
Sukhmani Sahib is the name given to the set of hymns divided into 24 sections which appear in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Scriptures on page 262. Each section, which is called an Ashtpadi, consists of 8 hymns per Ashtpadi. The word Sukhmani literally means Peace in your mind...
of Guru Arjan as he died.
Modern times
The government of UzbekistanUzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
under the regime of Islam Karimov have boiled a number of political dissidents. The British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray
Craig Murray
Craig John Murray is a British political activist, former ambassador to Uzbekistan and former Rector of the University of Dundee....
, explains in his memoir Murder in Samarkand
Murder in Samarkand
Murder in Samarkand is a non-fiction book by British activist and former ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray. The book forms an account of Murray's controversial ambassadorship at the UK embassy in Tashkent in 2002–04...
that he obtained photos of the corpse of Muzafar Avazov
Muzafar Avazov
Muzafar Avazov,a 35-year-old father of four, was a Uzbekistan torture victim executed in 2002. Human Rights Watch recorded his death as "suspicious" with evidence of torture, citing Uzbekistan's repression of independent Muslims. Individuals who had seen the body told Human Rights Watch that it...
and sent them to a forensic pathologist in Britain, who concluded that the visible injuries were consistent with a living person having been immersed in boiling water.
Depictions in Western media
Early reports of cannibals from islands in the Pacific, such as Fiji or Papua New Guinea, killing western Christian missionaries were mistakenly assumed to involve some form of boiling alive. This became a fertile ground for film makers and especially cartoonists, whose clichéd depiction of tourists or missionaries sitting restrained in a large cauldron above a wood fire and surrounded by bone-nosed tribesmen were a staple of popular magazines and film for decades. Examples include the dream sequence in the movie Bagdad CaféBagdad Café
Bagdad Café is a 1987 German film directed by Percy Adlon.The film is a comedy set in a remote truck-stop café and motel in the Mojave Desert. The plot is centered around two women who have recently separated from their husbands, and the blossoming friendship which ensues. It ran 95 minutes in...
and Dan Piraro
Dan Piraro
Daniel Charles Piraro is a painter, illustrator and cartoonist best known for his award-winning syndicated cartoon panel Bizarro. Piraro's cartoons have been reprinted in 15 book collections between 1986 and the present....
's depiction of Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
.
In Kyle Onstott
Kyle Onstott
Kyle Onstott was an American novelist, best-remembered for his best-selling novel Mandingo , which deals with slavery on an Alabama plantation in the 1830s.- References :Contemporary Authors: Biography - Onstott, Kyle...
's novel Mandingo, a slave, who slept with and impregnated his master's wife, was killed in a tub of boiling water.
James Clavell
James Clavell
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
's novel Shogun
Shogun (novel)
Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first novel of the author's Asian Saga. A major bestseller, by 1990 the book had sold 15 million copies worldwide...
contains a description of the practice.
External links
- Boiling as a Form of Capital Punishment (see subtitle half way down page)
- Human Rights Watch: Torture Worldwide: Uzbekistan