Morbid Fact Du Jour For October 8, 2009

Today’s Godly Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

For mass public execution with the most pomp and circumstance, the Inquisitions of Spain and Portugal are difficult to top. An enormous crowd of 20,000 dressed in their finest clothes jammed the main square of Lisbon to witness the burning of 21 heretics on June 30, 1682, among them noblemen and Church dignitaries. Here is an eyewitness account:

“At the place of execution… there are so many stakes set up as there are prisoners to be burned, with a good quantity of dry furze about them. The stakes of the Professed, as the inquisitors call them, are about four yards high and have a small board, whereon the prisoner is to be seated within a half yard of the top… The Professed go up a ladder betwixt two Jesuits, who have attended them the whole day of execution.

“When they come even with the aforesaid board, they turn to the people and the Jesuits spend near a quarter of an hour in exhorting them to be reconciled to the Church of Rome. If they refuse, the priests come down and the executioner ascends and turns the professed from off the ladder and puts them upon the seat, chains their bodies to the stake and leaves them.

“Then the Jesuits go up a second time to renew their exhortations and if they find them ineffectual usually tell them at parting, that they ‘leave them to the Devil, who is standing at their elbow to receive their souls and carry them with him into the flames of hell fire, as soon as they are out of their bodies.’

“Upon this, a great shout is then raised, and as soon as the Jesuits are off the ladder, the cry is ‘Let the Dogs’ beards be made, Let the Dogs’ beards be made!’ This is done by thrusting flaming furzes against their faces with long poles. This barbarity repeated until their faces are burnt coal black, and is accompanied with such loud acclamations of joy as are not heard even at a Bull-Feast or a farce.

“Fire is then set to the furzes, which are at the bottom of the stake, but the flames seldom reach as high as the seat they sit upon… If the day is windy, then they do not die even after an hour and a half or two hours, and so are really roasted and not burnt to death… The sufferers as long as they are able to speak, cry out: ‘Misericordia por Amor de Dios’ (‘Mercy for the love of God’).”

Culled from: An Underground Education

“Let the dogs’ beards be made” is my new favorite expression. For the love of God, of course.