Drunkard's Cloak: Old Steve Cooper

What happens when getting a little too drunk earns you a very public walk of shame?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel to 17th century England to explore the strange and humiliating punishment known as the Drunkard’s Cloak.

Instead of chains, whips, or the usual medieval collection of unpleasantness, repeat offenders could find themselves trapped inside a wooden barrel and marched through town for everyone to see. We’ll look at the origins of the punishment, its connection to drinking laws in England, the infamous Newcastle Cloak, and similar forms of public humiliation used across Europe.

Then we’ll cross the Atlantic and into the American Civil War, where soldiers accused of drinking or stealing could find themselves wearing their own rather embarrassing barrel shirt.

We’ll also explore the German Schandmantel, the so called Coat of Shame, and the strange history behind these barrel shaped punishments.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own brand of humiliatingly inappropriate humor to an episode where the punishment is basically getting turned into a walking beer keg.

If you love historical punishments, medieval history, drinking history, the Drunkard’s Cloak, public humiliation, Newcastle history, the American Civil War, and the bizarre ways humans have tried to stop each other from drinking too much, this episode is for you.

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The Sassholes Insta!!

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/curiosity