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Keelhauling ( Dutch ''kielhalen''; "to drag along the keel") is a form of punishment and potential execution once meted out to sailors at sea. The sailor was tied to a line looped beneath the vessel, thrown overboard on one side of the ship, and dragged under the ship's
Several 17th-century English writers such as William Monson and Nathaniel Boteler recorded the use of keel-hauling on English naval ships. However, their references are vague and provide no date. In 1880,
''kielholen'' entry
in: Johann Hinrich Röding: ''Allgemeines Wörterbuch der Marine in allen Europäischen Seesprachen nebst vollständigen Erklärungen''. Nemnich, Hamburg & J.J. Gebauer, Halle, 1793–1798. {{Pirates Corporal punishments Execution methods Pirate customs and traditions
keel
The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...
, either from one side of the ship to the other, or the length of the ship (from bow to stern).
History
There is limited evidence that keelhauling in this form was used bypirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
ships, especially in the ancient world
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient h ...
. The earliest definitive mention of keelhauling is from the Byzantine Rhodian Maritime Code (''Lex Rhodia''), of c. 700 CE, which outlines punishment for piracy. However, there are images on c. 500 BCE Greek vases, as well as a mention in Herodotus' ''Histories'', that either refer to strappado
The strappado, also known as corda, is a form of torture in which the victim's hands are tied behind their back and the victim is suspended by a rope attached to the wrists, typically resulting in dislocated shoulders. Weights may be added to ...
— that is, hanging the victim over the water - or of a keelhauling proper.
Several 17th-century English writers such as William Monson and Nathaniel Boteler recorded the use of keel-hauling on English naval ships. However, their references are vague and provide no date. In 1880, George Shaw Lefevre
George John Shaw Lefevre, 1st Baron Eversley (12 June 1831 – 19 April 1928) was a British Liberal Party politician. In a ministerial career that spanned thirty years, he was twice First Commissioner of Works and also served as Postmaster Ge ...
was confronted in Parliament with a recent report from Italy of a keelhauling on HMS ''Alexandra'', and denied that such an incident had taken place.
Some historians believe keelhauling may have been introduced to the Dutch Navy
The Royal Netherlands Navy (, ) is the Navy, maritime service branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It traces its history to 8 January 1488, making it the List of navies, third-oldest navy in the world.
During the 17th and early 18th centurie ...
by William of Orange. On 11 October 1652, under Jan Van Riebeeck
Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 – 18 January 1677) was a Dutch navigator, ambassador and colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company.
Life
Early life
Jan van Riebeeck was born in Culemborg on 21 April ...
's command, Jan Blank, a sailor, was keelhauled, whipped a total of 150 lashes, and then enslaved for 2 years as punishment for deserting the VOC - he had deserted for just 9 days. Perhaps the most graphic incident of it occurred in 1673 when Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest punished sailors who committed murder. It was an official, though rare, punishment in the Dutch navy, as shown in the painting ''The keelhauling of the ship's surgeon of Admiral Jan van Nes''. This shows a large crowd gathered to watch the event, as though it was a "show" punishment intended to frighten other potential offenders, as was flogging round the fleet.
A footnote in one source suggests that it may have evolved from the medieval punishment of ducking.
The term still survives today, although usually in the sense of being severely rebuked.
See also
* Running the gauntlet *Walking the plank
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...
* Operation Keelhaul
Operation Keelhaul was a forced repatriation of Soviet citizens and members of the Soviet Army in the West to the Soviet Union (although it often included former soldiers of the Russian Empire or Russian Republic, who did not have Soviet citizens ...
References
''kielholen'' entry
in: Johann Hinrich Röding: ''Allgemeines Wörterbuch der Marine in allen Europäischen Seesprachen nebst vollständigen Erklärungen''. Nemnich, Hamburg & J.J. Gebauer, Halle, 1793–1798. {{Pirates Corporal punishments Execution methods Pirate customs and traditions