It probably was pretty darn painful because you're not living in a world with good razors.

The chances are what they're using is kitchen cutlery I would imagine and that is not necessarily

all that sharp and I can't imagine how painful it was.

That's Lisi Oliver. She studies medieval law at Louisiana State University. What do you

think she's talking about that was so darn painful?

Between the fifth and the twelfth century in early modern Europe, barbarity swept through

the continent and also the island of England and often the targets of these attacks were

monasteries and nunneries, but nunneries you had the added incentive of rape to add to

serve pillage and destruction.

For a nun, rape was especially problematic, aside from the obvious reasons.

Rape violated a nun's chastity, which meant that as a bride of Christ, she might be forbidden

entry into heaven. So what do you do if you're a nun and there are barbarians at the gate?

In the ninth century, one nun, an Abyss, who came to be known as Saint Eba, came up with

a plan. Here's Lisi Oliver, reading from a history by Roger of Windover.

The Abyss with an heroic spirit took a razor and with it cut off her nose. Together with

her upper lip onto the teeth, presenting herself a horrible spectacle to those who stood

by. Filled with admiration at this admirable deed, the whole assembly followed her maternal

example and severally did the like to themselves. When this was done, together with the Maros

Dawn, the pagan attackers came, on beholding the Abyss and the sisters so outrageously

mutilated and stained with their own blood from the soul of their foot unto their head,

they retired in haste from the place. Their leaders ordered their wicked followers to

set fire and burn them on a stereo with all its buildings and its holy inmates. Which,

...