Birching block
A birching block is an item of spanking furniture used to place an offender on (usually, restrained), in order to administer corporal punishment by birching his or her buttocks.
It is similar in purpose to a birching horse, a birching pony or a birching donkey. The difference in construction is that a birching block offers support for the offender to kneel on, so that he or she is in a kneeling position. On a birching block, the delinquent's legs are usually together, not spread or straddling.
Birching blocks were traditionally used in 19th century prisons, reformatories, schools, and similar institutions that meted out a lot of birchings. They seem to have been particularly common in the United Kingdom, especially in boys' public schools like Eton and Rugby.
Medieval woodcut showing a school birching over a simple block.
Eton flogging block and birch.
Medieval woodcut (1592) showing a school birching over a low block.
Construction
In its simplest form, a birching block is merely a wooden block, such as on the woodcut to the right. In more sophisticated forms, it has a lower step to kneel upon and a higher step to support the spankee's torso. As a means of restraint there are usually straps for (at least) the wrists, the back, and the ankles. Alternatively, ankle stocks can be used.
Links
- Painting of a birching block shown in the Eton College museum.
- Construction of a birching block based on photos and illustrations of the Eton Block, on Spanking Central (Adult site) (Link dead, Feb 2008)
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