sassywood
n.— «About 50 people in the village of Klay, northwestern Liberia, recently gathered to watch a man apply red-hot metal to the limbs of four youths accused of robbery. The man dipped a machete in a concoction of water, palm oil and kola nuts, held it in fire for several minutes, and then placed it on the right legs of the four suspects. None of the youths—ages 16 to 26—appeared to flinch. They were deemed not guilty. This practice known as “sassywood” is banned under national law, but is still regarded as a legitimate form of justice by many Liberians. A suspect is subjected to intense pain and judged on his or her reaction—if the hot metal burns the person’s leg, he or she is found guilty.» —“Trial By Ordeal Makes the Guilty Burn But ‘Undermines Justice’” by UN Integrated Regional Information Networks in Monrovia, Liberia allAfrica.com Nov. 1, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Snaggletooth (episode #1560) 01/11/2021: Many of us struggled with the Old English poem "Beowulf" in high school. But what if you could actually hear "Beowulf" in the English of... [more]
Like a Boiled Owl (episode #1559) 12/21/2020: What's it like to hike the Pacific Crest Trail all the way from Mexico to Canada? You'll end up with sore muscles and blisters, and... [more]
Your Two Cents (episode #1558) 12/07/2020: Astronauts returning from space say they experience what's called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to... [more]
Sock it to Me (episode #1557) 11/16/2020: In the 15th century, the word respair meant "to have hope again." Although this word fell out of use, it's among dozens collected in a... [more]
Good Vibrations (episode #1556) 10/26/2020: Asthenosphere, a geologist's term for the molten layer beneath the earth's crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the... [more]
You must log in to post a comment.