Flagellants

Flagellants were a set of medieval fanatics, who first arose in Italy in 1260, and subsequently appeared in other quarters of Europe, and who thought by self-flagellation to atone for sin and avert divine judgment, hoping by a limited number of stripes to compensate for a century of scourgings. The practice arose at a time when it was reckoned that the final judgment of the world was at hand.

Nearby pages
Flamboyant, Flamens, Flammable limits, Flanders, Flandrin, Flank, Flank protection