The Catherine wheel

The Catherine wheel

(not to be confused with the British rock band from the 90s) also referred to as a breaking wheel, was a torture method used for public executions from the time of classical antiquity to the 19th century. Usually to be “wheeled” or “broken on the wheel” was an execution reserved for those who had committed crimes such as murder, sexual assault, or treason. Death by the wheel was slow and excruciating, involving the breaking of bones, bludgeoning, and eventually decapitation. In the end either a fire would be built under the wheel to burn the body of the accused or in some cultures, they would leave the body on the wheel for days for the public to see.

While this use of execution was most commonly found in various parts of Europe, there are records from George Percy regarding the executions and punishments dealt to the soldiers and indentures arriving in 1600s Virginia. Sir Thomas Dale, the high marshal of the colony, allegedly had men burned, staked, starved, and even broken on the wheel. 

Dive into the morbid world of 17th-century crimes and punishments while our English and Native interpreters cover specific cases, tools of execution, and the ritual of trials. 

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