Branding Inspiration

For the idea of using a brand as a torture weapon we took inspiration from a number of outlets, such as looking at biblical references (Timothy 4:2 "Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.") and from internet sources - particularly usinghttp://www.medievalwarfare.info/torture.htm as a reference website.

It was said that "human branding or stigmatising is the process in which a mark, usually a symbol or ornamental pattern, is burned into the skin of a living person, with the intention that the resulting scar makes it permanent. This is achieved using a very hot or very cold branding iron.

In criminal law, branding with a hot iron was a mode of punishment by which marking the subject as if goods or animals, sometimes concurrently with a reduction of status.

Brand marks have also been used as a punishment for convicted criminals, combining physical punishment, as burns are very painful, with public humiliation, especially if marked on a normally visible part of the body, providing an indelible criminal record.

The practice of branding as a punishment was widespread in Christendom. It was also used on slaves and animals to indicate ownership."

We therefore decided to use the branding procedure as a form of torture in our trailer, as we wanted to indicate ownership of the victim and ownership of the mask.

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