Riding the Stang

[cclaun]

In Scotland immoral women would be forced to "Ride the Stang". The stang was a rough tree trunk. The woman would be stripped naked and set astride this pole. A mob would then carry her throughout the village. They would lift her up high, then drop and catch the pole repeatedly. This jostling ride could inflict severe damage on their victim. Eventually they would take her out of the village and toss her off her mount, often into a filthy pond. She would be warned to never come back.

[cclaun]

At the "mercy" of the mob

[cclaun]

Her shameful ride

[cclaun]

Screaming in agony

[cluseb]

I was intrigued with your use of the word "stang" as a noun, the spell check doesn't even recognize it, but then it was first used as a noun in Scotland in 1513. This suggests a very literate, well read wordsmith or someone who does a lot of research when working on a period piece.

Well done.

[wulf]

I was intrigued with your use of the word "stang" as a noun, the spell check doesn't even recognize it, but then it was first used as a noun in Scotland in 1513. This suggests a very literate, well read wordsmith or someone who does a lot of research when working on a period piece.

Well done.

I first saw the word stang used (to describe the horse torture) several years ago in a story. I don't recall the title or the author but I have it saved somewhere. I had never heard it called that before. Interesting.

[petelobo]

short for mustang

[Akhenaton]

I'm pretty sure that the term "stang" comes from the old German "stange", which means a horizontal pole used mostly in houses and stables.
The same term "stanga" is also used in Italian to indicate a horizontal pole, or poles, in front of carts to hitch horses or oxen.

[wulf]

I'm pretty sure that the term "stang" comes from the old German "stange", which means a horizontal pole used mostly in houses and stables.
The same term "stanga" is also used in Italian to indicate a horizontal pole, or poles, in front of carts to hitch horses or oxen.

Thank you for that clarification.

[cclaun]

In 1870 in Cortland NY a young woman by the name of Melissa Blye was having an affair with a married man. When the wife drowned herself, the community decided to take action. A mob of fifty young men came to her house one night. They dragged her into the street and divested her of her clothing. Hot tar was poured over her and she was rolled in feathers. They decided to give her a ride on a rail. In place of the usual fence rail they obtained the cross bar of a horse drawn hay rake. This was an 8-foot-long wood bar with 8 inch long wooden pegs spaced along its length. The pegs would have been worn and splintery from years of being dragged across stony fields. Set astride this mount, pinned in place by large wooden peg, she was carried several miles along the village streets. Her ordeal lasted for about 4 hours. Almost the entire village turned out to watch. Only one person was ever charged in relation to the event. He was found innocent. Melissa spent the rest of her life in the village among neighbors who felt she got what she deserved.