If there’s one truth about human beings which has endured throughout history it’s that we’re a bunch of weirdos who do some very strange things.

Naturally, that includes finding weird ways to hurt or kill each other, as some of the methods are just downright bizarre.

You’d think that by the time people were coming up with ways to kill each other involving two boats and copious lashings of milk and honey that we were pretty much running out of ideas and freestyling but human ingenuity had plenty more in the tank when it came to being horrible.

Of course, there was the guy who built a giant torture device in the shape of a bull, and ended up becoming the first victim of his own creation, while at other times the implements are as simple as something which pulls your limbs out of their joints.

An artist’s impression of the ‘goat’s tongue’ punishment (By Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA – Rothenburg Germany Torture Museum, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65242774)

However, each of these methods involves some kind of gadget or implement, for a more low tech alternative then you might consider one which needs nothing beyond a bucket of saltwater and a goat.

This historic torture method was known as the ‘goat’s tongue’ and could leave a person in agonising pain or even result in their death.

How it worked was a person would have their feet immersed in saltwater to make it more vulnerable to peeling and then the poor victim will be secured in place so that the goat can properly be deployed.

The idea is that the goat will go and lick the person’s salty feet, and the unceasing tongue lashing from the bleating beast would slowly but steadily wear down the skin on the soles of the feet.

While having the soles of your feet licked by a goat might initially feel quite ticklish, it must have been agony once the skin starts wearing down and you wish you were anywhere else other than stuck with a goat licking your feet.

Such a torture could even result in death should the wounds that form on the soles of the feet become infected, and having a farm animal lick your open wounds seems like a good way to get them infected.

The ‘goat’s tongue’ was described in documents condemning the use of torture and is thought to date back to the days of Ancient Rome.

While they had some decent ways to treat illness and it wasn’t all dreadful when it came to medical care, you’d much rather not get some sort of infection in those times.

Oh no, the most terrifying torture implement ever! (ROMEO GACAD/AFP via Getty Images)

Plus, with the skin on the soles of your feet licked down to absolutely nothing good luck walking anywhere for an incredibly long amount of time.

Even if the goat’s tongue didn’t infect your wounds then trying to walk on your ruined feet would probably have a similar impact.

Be glad that the horrific torture method is no longer used in this day and age.