Whipping Boy
Royalty couldn’t be punished—so noble kids had “whipping boys” to take the lashes for them. If a young prince misbehaved, his companion got the beating, in hopes that the guilt would teach the royal a lesson.
These boys had to be close to the prince, creating a strange bond between torment and friendship. It’s a practice that now seems beyond cruel, blending class privilege with child abuse. Once attitudes on discipline and monarchy shifted, the whipping boy role mercifully vanished.
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements