Many traditions and customs have come down to us since ancient times. But some - the most creepy ones - are in the past. It is sometimes difficult to believe that in ancient times such cruelty was perceived quite adequately.
Buried alive
The cruel customs of burying living people have been known since antiquity. Most often, the ritual involved widows who were placed in the grave with their deceased husband. In Hindu practice, this custom was called "sati" and represented the ritual burning of a married couple. Most often, the act of sati was voluntary, but sometimes women were tied up or guarded so that they could not change their mind at the last moment. A similar custom was common among the Slavic tribes - the Rus, Krivichi and Drevlyans. The widow was hanged on the gallows, stabbed or buried together with her husband. Moreover, if someone's wife was dying, they did not demand death from the widower, he could marry again. And when a noble nobleman died, not only his wife, but also his servants were buried with him.
When the ruler of the Scythians died, his wife, cook, groom, butler, personal servant, messenger, horses, pigs, sheep and cows were buried with him.
Leg bandage custom
Chinese "lotus feet" have become a legend in this country, but this custom was canceled not so long ago, at the beginning of the last century. In pursuit of beauty, thousands of Chinese girls became crippled and unable to move normally. The bandaging of the legs began from a very early age, from 4-5 years. The feet were bandaged so that the toes were pressed against the sole, and the arch of the foot was arched like a bow. Little girls suffered from pain, bone deformation, inflammation and insufficient circulation in the feet. Adult women had feet about 10 cm long and walked with great difficulty.
A woman who had no bandages on her legs had no chance of getting married. She was forced to do the dirtiest work and had no access to high society.
The cruel custom of the Tibetan wedding
Chastity was considered the main feminine virtue in many countries. But not in Tibet. There it was considered bad taste to marry a virgin. And a girl who wants to get married as soon as possible had to solve this problem. The marriageable bride was obliged to surrender herself to several strangers before the wedding. However, foreigners visited the small mountainous country very rarely, so the girl went to the caravan road, pitched a tent and waited for the travelers to appear. Sometimes it took a very long time to wait, and most of the travelers turned out to be Buddhist monks who observed the rite of celibacy. But, without performing the ritual, the girl had no right to return to her village. Sometimes she lived by the road for months, receiving dozens of men in the tent and not having the right to refuse any of them.
