In ancient times, punishments were often used to govern the country because it was believed that unbearable suffering was the most terrifying thing. Moreover, the majority of the populace lacked a proper education and had weak reasoning, so they would not commit acts that the law prescribed as deserving of severe penalties.
The punishments invented were like an “art form”; to achieve different goals, various methods would be employed. During the Ming Dynasty under the rule of Zhu Yuanzhang, brutal punishments such as skinning and having ants crawl on a person were devised to torture corrupt officials.
The so-called palace punishments were initially aimed at men, primarily eunuchs, and were gradually applied to women as well.
“Laughing punishment” may sound humorous at first, but in reality, it is a method of torture that requires no weapons, does not spill blood, yet torments the victim to the point of death.
The Origin of Laughter-Inducing Torture
“Laughing punishment” or Tickle torture is also known as “Xiao Xing” in Chinese. This ancient form of torture first appeared during the Han Dynasty in China. “Laughing punishment” was specifically designed for nobles because it left no marks, allowing the perpetrators to conceal the torture of their victims.
Another example of “laughing punishment” was used in ancient Rome, where the feet of the condemned were dipped in a solution of salt, honey, or white sugar, and a goat was brought in to lick their soles. This form of torture initially resembled playful tickling, but ultimately caused extreme suffering for the victim.
Illustration depicting this seemingly gentle form of torture.
There are many methods to carry out “laughing punishment”, such as using goose feathers to tickle the soles of the feet or the armpits—areas that can induce laughter on the human body. During World War II, a man who was persecuted in the Flossenburg concentration camp recounted witnessing a prisoner tortured to death through laughter. This incident was described in The Men With The Pink Triangle by Heinz Heger: “They used goose feathers to tickle the soles of the feet, between the legs, under the arms, and many other parts of the prisoner’s body. Initially, the person would try to force themselves to remain silent while their eyes twitched with fear and torment. Eventually, they could no longer restrain themselves and burst into laughter, which quickly turned into a cry of pain.”
Why is this Punishment Terrifying?
In the book Sibling Abuse, Vernon Wiehe published his research findings on 150 adults who were abused by their siblings in childhood. Some reported that tickling was a common form of physical abuse they experienced. Based on these reports, it was revealed that tickling can trigger extreme physiological reactions in victims, such as vomiting, loss of control (incontinence), and loss of consciousness due to inability to breathe.
According to analysis, if a person continuously laughs without stopping, the air in their lungs decreases, and they will lose the ability to breathe. As a result, the body becomes severely deprived of oxygen, leading to suffocation and death. Most ancient punishments were carried out for extended periods. Therefore, the prisoners could not stop laughing, ultimately leading to the tragic outcome of dying from their uncontrollable laughter.
Even today, people often joke about “laughing until they can’t breathe,” but in reality, this was the cause of death for many during the Middle Ages or in ancient feudal China. Along with other forms of torture such as lingchi (death by a thousand cuts) and dismemberment, “laughing punishment” remains one of the most fearsome punishments, even more terrifying than bloody ones. The image of a person bound, completely immobilized, yet laughing until they can no longer endure it and die, certainly leaves a profound haunting for those who witness it.
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