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  • "The Melon Helm of Wisdom" - This was basically a punishment for giving bad advice. The guilty party would have a hollowed-out melon placed on their head, with holes cut for their eyes and mouth. They had to walk around the village giving advice to people while pretending to be "The Wise Melon Sage" and be a target of public ridicule. Villagers would often pelt the Melon Sage with smaller melons to show their disapproval.

    EDIT: Oh I just saw the Musk comment and thought this was just a general question. For Musk specifically, look up "scaphism".

  • Well, I know this isn't medieval, but it could've happened once in the further past (blackleg: strikebreaker)

    They rub wet clay in the blackleg's face,

    And around the heaps they run a footrace

    To catch the blackleg miner.

    And even down near the Seghill mine,

    Across the way they stretch a line

    To catch the throat, to break the spine

    Of the dirty blackleg miner.

    They grabbed his duds, his picks as well,

    And they hoy them down the pit of hell,

    Down you go, we pay you well,

    You dirty blackleg miner.

32 comments