Hitting on the hands (2)

 

How was the punishment given?

This kind of punishment was usually public and with very little ritual. The pupil was called to the front of the class, ordered to extend the hand, given the blows and sent back, with teary eyes and the burning hand tucked under her armpit, to her desk.

The preferred hand for hitting was the left (right for the left-handed), for not interfering with her writing, but when giving more than a couple, both hands were hit (and the pupil had to manage to complete her work on hurting hands).

For the Scottish tawse, the pupil stood in front of the teacher, with the hand extended at the front. The strap was thrown back, over the teacher's shoulder, and flipped to the front, with the tails hitting on the base of the thumb.

 

Some teachers had always the tawse over the shoulder, ready for use, and at the pupils' sight. Others had it rolled in his coat's pocket and, I some classrooms, the strap was hanging from a nail in the wall at the front of the classroom, as a permanent remainder of the consequences of bad behavior.

This technique can be used for any strap. If you are a novice, held the strap near the end. A shorter tail is easier to handle.

The cane was favored in English schools. The cane punishment (called "a hander", or, in old British "a pandy") was given across the palm. If hitting at the base of the fingers, as shown, the pain is sharper.

It could be given on the spur of the moment as the tawse, or as a formal punishment, sending the pupil to the headmaster's studio.

With a light ruler, you could hit on the palm, or, carefully, on the fingers.

If you have a ferule, a strap, or any flat and wide instrument, you could use it on the palm of the hand.

 

 

And finally, a very painful one, making the pupil join the fingers, and hitting with the ruler on the fingertips.

 

I've read about teachers that used this position for hitting the fingers with the ruler's edge.

 

Of course, these are general ideas of the most widely used practices. Do it as you like, only be extremely careful for not hurting your partner.

 

Published: 09/03/03