noun / adjective

flagellant

FLAJ-uh-lunt/ˈflædʒələnt/

A person who practices self-whipping.

The flagellant whips himself as an act of religious penance.

Historical medieval adult religious penitent in plain coarse robe holding small ritual scourge behind shoulder toward own clothed back, sober documentary scene, no blood or injuries, no erotic framing, restrained distant view.

Etymology

Latin flagellum, “whip,” underlies a verb meaning “to scourge”; its participle describes someone whipping. In the religious sense, the action becomes self-directed as a form of discipline.

More examples

Some flagellants practice self-whipping in private.
The book describes flagellant rituals in a medieval community.
Not every flagellant practices self-whipping for religious reasons.

Forms

flagellant · flagellants

flagellate verb — To whip oneself or another person.

flagellation noun — Whipping oneself or another person.