# You will be burnt at the stake: How much pain to expect? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861 "2010-05-18T04:25:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/41 "2010-05-20T01:19:19Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > the two victims (Jews, I think) have distinct erections, their penises surrounded by some sort of nasty looking cage. I’ve often wondered what’s going on in this image. Possibly [Cathars](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharism), rather than Jews. Dominic is known for his efforts to convert and/or eradicate the Cathars. I have no idea what’s going on with those penises, which can be seen in better detail [here](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/f/f4/20090906202518!Berruguete%2C_Pedro_-_Burning_of_the_Heretics_(Auto-da-f%C3%A9)_-_c._1500.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/42 "2010-05-20T01:32:15Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Perhaps this is directly related, perhaps not. In the 1475 painting [St. Dominic Presiding over an Auto da Fe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pedro_Berruguete_-_Saint_Dominic_Presiding_over_an_Auto-da-fe_%281475%29.jpg)the two victims (Jews, I think) have distinct erections, their penises surrounded by some sort of nasty looking cage. I’ve often wondered what’s going on in this image. (Other clothed victims are awaiting their turn, as soon as the branches near them get lit.) I just (last night) watched the \*\*Sopranos Season 5 \*\*episode in which Dr Melfi mentions an _Auto-da-fe_ and I was going to look it up but forgot about it until I stumbled into this thread. This place is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/43 "2010-05-20T01:35:10Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Isn’t there some research or experience that, if a trauma is severe enough, the brain simply stops registering pain at all? Perhaps the victims simply shut down at that point. There’s a thread exactly on this somewhere. I think the consensus was no such luck. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/44 "2010-05-20T01:36:10Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > Possibly [Cathars](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharism), rather than Jews. Dominic is known for his efforts to convert and/or eradicate the Cathars. I have no idea what’s going on with those penises, which can be seen in better detail [here](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/f/f4/20090906202518%21Berruguete%2C_Pedro_-_Burning_of_the_Heretics_%28Auto-da-f%C3%A9%29_-_c._1500.jpg). Thank you very much.–LB ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/45 "2010-05-20T01:43:29Z")
I would assume it would be possible to ask doctors or nurses who have dealt with burn patients about an answer to this question rather than speculation? It’s not like people haven’t been burned terribly in modern times. ---
**Author:** ![badlyburnttoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@badlyburnttoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badlyburnttoast)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/46 "2010-05-20T02:24:54Z")
You can find out what it’s like yourself, if you’d like. Find the hottest hot sauce you possibly can. Stick some of that in your mouth, then imagine the HORRIBLE BURNING all over your whole body. Capsaicin (the chemical that makes hot peppers hot) essentially lowers the temperature that the nerves that trigger pain/heat activate at to lower then body temperature - so what you are feeling is literally what it would feel like to be on fire since it’s the same nerves going off. (don’t actually do this, super hot sauce can be harmful or fatal if you eat some straight out of the bottle. Just eat a jalapeño instead and imagine it 100x worse) ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/47 "2010-05-20T02:45:02Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Perhaps this is directly related, perhaps not. In the 1475 painting [St. Dominic Presiding over an Auto da Fe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pedro_Berruguete_-_Saint_Dominic_Presiding_over_an_Auto-da-fe_%281475%29.jpg)the two victims (Jews, I think) have distinct erections, their penises surrounded by some sort of nasty looking cage. I’ve often wondered what’s going on in this image. (Other clothed victims are awaiting their turn, as soon as the branches near them get lit.) Those aren’t their penises, they are a penis-shaped spike driven into the wood of the stake, probably to keep the victims from sliding down and strangling themselves before the burning. (Notice that the men are tied to the stake by a rope aroung their necks). There are a couple of examples in the Museo de la Inquisicion in Mexico City. ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/48 "2010-05-20T02:47:37Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Perhaps this is directly related, perhaps not. In the 1475 painting [St. Dominic Presiding over an Auto da Fe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pedro_Berruguete_-_Saint_Dominic_Presiding_over_an_Auto-da-fe_%281475%29.jpg)the two victims (Jews, I think) have distinct erections, their penises surrounded by some sort of nasty looking cage. I’ve often wondered what’s going on in this image. (Other clothed victims are awaiting their turn, as soon as the branches near them get lit.) Those aren’t their penises, they are a penis-shaped spike driven into the wood of the stake, probably to keep the victims from sliding down and strangling themselves before the burning. (Notice that the men are tied to the stake by a rope around their necks). There are a couple of examples in the Museo de la Inquisicion in Mexico City. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/49 "2010-05-20T03:27:21Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > Possibly [Cathars](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharism), rather than Jews. Dominic is known for his efforts to convert and/or eradicate the Cathars. I have no idea what’s going on with those penises, which can be seen in better detail [here](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/f/f4/20090906202518!Berruguete%2C_Pedro_-_Burning_of_the_Heretics_(Auto-da-f%C3%A9)_-_c._1500.jpg). Dudes are perched on some sort of post, it is a minor torture, also seen in the movie version of Much Ado About Nothing, the scene where the 2 guys who conspired and lied are being questioned. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJcXfJoUJGs), about the 4 minute mark. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/50 "2010-05-20T12:24:36Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Dudes are perched on some sort of post, it is a minor torture, also seen in the movie version of Much Ado About Nothing, the scene where the 2 guys who conspired and lied are being questioned. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJcXfJoUJGs), about the 4 minute > mark. Huh. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/51 "2010-05-20T12:33:29Z")
> [@Mapache](#): > > Those aren’t their penises, they are a penis-shaped spike driven into the wood of the stake, probably to keep the victims from sliding down and strangling themselves before the burning. (Notice that the men are tied to the stake by a rope around their necks). There are a couple of examples in the Museo de la Inquisicion in Mexico City. I presume with the added benefit that the metal heats up and carries the heat to areas that otherwise might not get the full effect before death sets in? ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/52 "2010-05-20T18:01:54Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > The British started calling the Shermans by the name “Ronson” which was a brand of cigarette lighter with the advertising slogan "Lights the first time, every time!. The Germans called them [Tommy Cookers](http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/wars_conflict/weapons/field_gun_to_tank_10.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861/53 "2010-05-20T20:33:13Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Recently, there was a thread on the Dope asking about the most horrible videos people have seen. Once was of the burning of witches in Kenya. Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to seek out the link. What surprised me most (and this was the burning of a handful of witches, not just one) is that every single one of them, that I remember, went rather stoically. They just kind of sat there like the burning Buddhist monk, waiting for the fire to consume them. No screaming, no convulsing, no writhing. That’s just made it all the more disturbing. I accidently saw that once ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-will-be-burnt-at-the-stake-how-much-pain-to-expect/539861.md?page=2)