David Douglas was gored by a bull. Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden, ate until he burst. King Herod the Great suffered a death most men (if not all) would fear...
People die in strange, tragic and bizarre ways every day... here is the story of three such people.
People die in strange, tragic and bizarre ways every day... here is the story of three such people.
David Douglas
Died: 1834
Manner of death: Steamrolled by a bull.
David Douglas was a Glasgownian Botanist, and a great explorer. His fame even reached the status of having a tree named after him (the Douglas Fir).
His manner of death is quite ironic! He was living and working in Hawaii, attempting to trap wild bulls. He had dug a pit into which he hoped the bulls would fall, but instead, fell in the pit himself. Before he could get out, a wild bull DID plow straight into the pit, trampling David Douglas to death. By all accounts it was a gruesome death, as he was gored and gutted at the same time. But his spirit must have been pleased to know that his idea was a great success.
Manner of death: Steamrolled by a bull.
David Douglas was a Glasgownian Botanist, and a great explorer. His fame even reached the status of having a tree named after him (the Douglas Fir).
His manner of death is quite ironic! He was living and working in Hawaii, attempting to trap wild bulls. He had dug a pit into which he hoped the bulls would fall, but instead, fell in the pit himself. Before he could get out, a wild bull DID plow straight into the pit, trampling David Douglas to death. By all accounts it was a gruesome death, as he was gored and gutted at the same time. But his spirit must have been pleased to know that his idea was a great success.
Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden
Died: 12 February, 1771
Manner of death: Ate himself to death.
During his reign and in later years, King Adolf Frederick was described as a weak ruler, and one lacking of any talent. His only saving grace appeared that he was a good father and husband, and a gentle master to his servants – so a nice man basically!
Due to his sweet nature, he was deeply mourned by those who knew him on a personal level when he passed away.
And pass away he did! Quite epically! On 12 February 1771, the king was feeling particularly peckish. He consumed a meal of lobster, caviar, kippers, sauerkraut, champagne, 14 servings of his favourite dessert semla and a bowl of hot milk – he passed away during the night, with the official cause of death cited as indigestion, and thus is remembered as ‘the king who ate himself to death’.
Manner of death: Ate himself to death.
During his reign and in later years, King Adolf Frederick was described as a weak ruler, and one lacking of any talent. His only saving grace appeared that he was a good father and husband, and a gentle master to his servants – so a nice man basically!
Due to his sweet nature, he was deeply mourned by those who knew him on a personal level when he passed away.
And pass away he did! Quite epically! On 12 February 1771, the king was feeling particularly peckish. He consumed a meal of lobster, caviar, kippers, sauerkraut, champagne, 14 servings of his favourite dessert semla and a bowl of hot milk – he passed away during the night, with the official cause of death cited as indigestion, and thus is remembered as ‘the king who ate himself to death’.
Herod the Great
Cause of death: Pissing off God.
Herod the Great was a Roman appointed king of Judea, most well known for the construction of the Second Temple and for the biblical "Massacre of the Innocents" – which is exactly as it sounds – the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of baby boys throughout the ‘vicinity of Bethlehem’, as a psychic had told him that the King of the Jews was to be born, and he felt threatened.
Of course this failed, because there were many babies in world, and who could possibly kill them all. Also, Jesus was not destined to die for another 33 years, so it just wasn’t going to happen.
So modern medicine believes Herod was suffering from severe kidney disease, and something called Fournier gangrene – it’s not at all pretty. Some would say God frowned on him killing all those little boys, and decided to infect his kidneys beyond repair, and to basically give him gangrene of the genitalia... yes, you read that correctly. Google image ‘Fournier gangrene’ if you don’t believe me – but don’t do it before you eat. It is a rare disease which affects the perineum, and causes unbelievable pain.
Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, made note of Herod’s death, saying that the symptoms included intense itching, intestinal pain, shortness of breath, convulsions, and gangrene of the genitalia.
YES! GANGRENE OF THE GENITALS!!!
Herod the Great was a Roman appointed king of Judea, most well known for the construction of the Second Temple and for the biblical "Massacre of the Innocents" – which is exactly as it sounds – the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of baby boys throughout the ‘vicinity of Bethlehem’, as a psychic had told him that the King of the Jews was to be born, and he felt threatened.
Of course this failed, because there were many babies in world, and who could possibly kill them all. Also, Jesus was not destined to die for another 33 years, so it just wasn’t going to happen.
So modern medicine believes Herod was suffering from severe kidney disease, and something called Fournier gangrene – it’s not at all pretty. Some would say God frowned on him killing all those little boys, and decided to infect his kidneys beyond repair, and to basically give him gangrene of the genitalia... yes, you read that correctly. Google image ‘Fournier gangrene’ if you don’t believe me – but don’t do it before you eat. It is a rare disease which affects the perineum, and causes unbelievable pain.
Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, made note of Herod’s death, saying that the symptoms included intense itching, intestinal pain, shortness of breath, convulsions, and gangrene of the genitalia.
YES! GANGRENE OF THE GENITALS!!!
Peet Banks 2013
Put together by Ashley Hall
Put together by Ashley Hall
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