Sima Qian chose castration over death because he had a book to write. Aren't we all glad he did? :)
Chinese Water Torture?
Started by
Ghost_of_Han
, Jul 19 2004 01:14 AM
44 replies to this topic
#16
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Posted 28 July 2004 - 03:36 AM
The dead have passed beyond our power to honour or dishonour them, but not beyond our ability to try and understand.
#17
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Posted 28 July 2004 - 06:15 AM
Back to Water Torture: read the explanation here - http://www.straightd...mns/010112.html
The dead have passed beyond our power to honour or dishonour them, but not beyond our ability to try and understand.
#18
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Posted 29 July 2004 - 01:44 AM
The Water Torture as I know it is a way of driving the victim nuts. After a very long period of time the drops become heavier as the time takes its toll on the victim. Towards the end each drop seems as a cannon exploding in your head. As far as I understand this is a psychological way of torturing your victim. How true it be I can not say but why not try it on yourself and see; that is if you have the patience and time. ;) :P
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Posted 03 October 2004 - 12:44 AM
"Chinese Water Torture" is one of those terms invented by Europeans. There are many, many different ways involving water to torture people in Ancient China, not least the methods mentioned already.
One of the most common ones (and used during the Cultural Revolution) was to force the victim to drink water until their bellies swell, and then step on their stomachs. Another one would be the "submerged pig cage" one where the victim(s) will be crammed into a small cage and dunked into a river or pond, to be pulled back out for a breath of air to stop them from drowning right away. Repeat until they're drowned. This method of drowning is reserved for people who have violated certain social codes, including but not limited to incest.
One of the most common ones (and used during the Cultural Revolution) was to force the victim to drink water until their bellies swell, and then step on their stomachs. Another one would be the "submerged pig cage" one where the victim(s) will be crammed into a small cage and dunked into a river or pond, to be pulled back out for a breath of air to stop them from drowning right away. Repeat until they're drowned. This method of drowning is reserved for people who have violated certain social codes, including but not limited to incest.
#20
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Posted 03 October 2004 - 01:16 AM
It seems that it's one of Harry Houdini's most famous acts too! The Chinese Water Torture act is one where he had himself suspended upside-down in a locked glass and steel cabinet of water. I don't know how much this is really attributed to Chinese though.
#21
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Posted 12 October 2004 - 03:00 PM
It seems that it's one of Harry Houdini's most famous acts too! The Chinese Water Torture act is one where he had himself suspended upside-down in a locked glass and steel cabinet of water. I don't know how much this is really attributed to Chinese though.
The generalizations of the West towards the less-familiar East... how wide-spread.
Just as bad as how some of us call Caucasians "gweilo".
#22
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Posted 12 October 2004 - 03:38 PM
That is the version I came to hear about.The Water Torture as I know it is a way of driving the victim nuts. After a very long period of time the drops become heavier as the time takes its toll on the victim. Towards the end each drop seems as a cannon exploding in your head. As far as I understand this is a psychological way of torturing your victim. How true it be I can not say but why not try it on yourself and see; that is if you have the patience and time.
#23
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Posted 18 October 2004 - 01:47 PM
torture, not execution.i don't believe water torture is real. there is no way you can kill someone with water. water can go through stones, but only after hundreds or thousands of years.
You tie someone down, and drip on one spot, continuously
over time, that spot becomes very very tender and sensative. The repetative noise and feeling starts to grate at the nerves. Water running down through the eyes will eventually cause them to sting.
They did it on a radio show, they would report every few minutes on how the subject was going.
Don't know if it's Chinese, but that's what it is.
"the way has more than one name, and wise men have more than one method. Knowledge is such that it may suit all countries, so that all creatures may be saved..."
#24
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Posted 02 August 2005 - 09:25 PM
I remeber when I was a kid (meaning like 5 or 6) I heard people talk about Chinese water torture, but then when I grew up I never heard anything about it again. Does anyone one have any good information of Chinese Water torture? And please give time periods if possible.
I know that they use it in the Song dynasty.
When you go up to the mountain too often, you will eventually encounter the tiger.
#25
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Posted 02 August 2005 - 09:26 PM
torture, not execution.
You tie someone down, and drip on one spot, continuously
over time, that spot becomes very very tender and sensative. The repetative noise and feeling starts to grate at the nerves. Water running down through the eyes will eventually cause them to sting.
They did it on a radio show, they would report every few minutes on how the subject was going.
Don't know if it's Chinese, but that's what it is.
Well, some people do die in the water.
When you go up to the mountain too often, you will eventually encounter the tiger.
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Posted 03 August 2005 - 04:46 AM
I know that they use it in the Song dynasty.
Can you please give me some examples of its usage in Song dynasty?
"夫君子之行：靜以修身，儉以養德；非淡泊無以明志，非寧靜無以致遠。" - 諸葛亮
One should seek serenity to cultivate the body, thriftiness to cultivate the morals. If you are not simple and frugal, your ambition will not sparkle. If you are not calm and cool, you will not reach far. - Zhugeliang
#27
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Posted 03 August 2005 - 05:03 AM
In one episode of Batman (original series), the Egyptian-like villain tried using a variation to drive Batman nuts by putting him in a large Egyptian jar and letting pebbles repeatedly drop onto his head.
One Japanese water torture I heard about involves tying the condemned to a pole that is set up at the beach in the water at low tide, then letting the tide rise until the person dies of slow drowning. Dunno how credible.
One Japanese water torture I heard about involves tying the condemned to a pole that is set up at the beach in the water at low tide, then letting the tide rise until the person dies of slow drowning. Dunno how credible.
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"We Vandals get blamed for stuff that was actually done by some errant Lombard or Visigoth"
"Nationalism is much about forgetting as it is about remembering"
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#28
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Posted 03 August 2005 - 11:29 AM
^I heard that one too, you know those Japanese shrines built out in ocean? I remember hearing they tie the victims there.
The other torture involving the silk cloths and the dripping water sounds similiar to the Water and Paper version.
Each piece of paper was damped with water and placed one by one on top of the victim's face until he/she slowly dies from suffocation.
The other torture involving the silk cloths and the dripping water sounds similiar to the Water and Paper version.
Each piece of paper was damped with water and placed one by one on top of the victim's face until he/she slowly dies from suffocation.
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#29
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Posted 03 August 2005 - 12:13 PM
I once looked up Chinese water torture out of idle curiosity. From what I could find, it's like the fortune cookie: it's not of Chinese origin. According to this site, it's documented in Italian literature.
I don't know how true this is, but I've never heard of any kind of "common" Chinese torture involving water, unless maybe it was water deprivation. Mainstream Chinese torture/instruments of pain in the ancient times seemed to be a lot harsher and down-and-dirty than dripping water on someone's head and waiting and waiting until they go nuts.
Tattooing, flogging, paddling/beating, whipping with salt water, needles, bamboo slips stuck beneath the nails, squeezing the chest, legs or fingers between wooden racks, branding, 'sunning' by staking the person out in the sun for days on end, public display/humiliation, slicing of body parts, etc are things I've heard of when it comes to Chinese torture, but there's nothing much to do with water.
I don't know how true this is, but I've never heard of any kind of "common" Chinese torture involving water, unless maybe it was water deprivation. Mainstream Chinese torture/instruments of pain in the ancient times seemed to be a lot harsher and down-and-dirty than dripping water on someone's head and waiting and waiting until they go nuts.
Tattooing, flogging, paddling/beating, whipping with salt water, needles, bamboo slips stuck beneath the nails, squeezing the chest, legs or fingers between wooden racks, branding, 'sunning' by staking the person out in the sun for days on end, public display/humiliation, slicing of body parts, etc are things I've heard of when it comes to Chinese torture, but there's nothing much to do with water.
#30
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Posted 03 August 2005 - 12:48 PM
Though this certainly can't count as accurate historical evidence, but I was watching Da Han Tian Zi last year, and I remember they put Liu Che and his friend into the "Shui Lao", water prison, which was a cell they half filled with water.
And I think it was supposed to hurt people due to prolonged exposure...might've been a figment of the writer's imagination though, for I never heard of this before.
And I think it was supposed to hurt people due to prolonged exposure...might've been a figment of the writer's imagination though, for I never heard of this before.
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