what makes a serial killer became a serial killer

Theseus fighting the infamous serial killer Prokrustes, as depicted on an Attic red-figured kylix from around 440 to 430 BC. Procrustes is still discussed today thanks to his “Procrustean bed,” which has become proverbial for arbitrarily-and violently-forcing someone or something to fit into an unnatural scheme or pattern.

La Quintrala: Flaming Redhead Serial Killer Evaded Captureįortunately, Procrustes was destroyed by his own method by the younger and stronger Theseus, who would later murder the Minotaur of Crete as well.

Legends of Spring Heeled Jack, the Uncatchable Demon of Victorian England.

As you can probably understand, in both cases the victim died an unenviable death due to this terrible torture. Alternatively, if the victim was longer than the bed, he would cut off their legs to fit. Unknown to his oblivious victims, if they were shorter than the bed, he stretched him by hammering or racking the body to fit. The image comes from a 19th-century German satirical magazine. He usually invited travelers in for a comforting meal and a night's rest in his very “special” iron bed.Ĭaricature of Procrustes, the infamous serial killer from Greek mythology, and his legendary Procrusean bed.

The infamous serial killer, Procrustes, also known as 'the stretcher,” is a legendary killer from Attica that kept a house by the side of a busy road where he offered hospitality to passing strangers. The first ancient serial killer to appear in popular culture can be found in Greek mythology. Procrustes: Infamous Serial Killer from Greek Mythology Can we learn something from the stories of infamous serial killers from ancient history? Some of the confessions of the worst serial killers were induced under torture, so keep in mind that there could be another side to the historical reports of their abysmal crimes. What is it that makes someone a serial killer? Even though psychologists and criminologists have been working for decades to accurately define and identify what makes a person commit such cold-blooded murders again and again, the causes of psychopathy remain somewhat of a mystery. Why is it that Jack the Ripper the most famous serial killer in history, when there have been more brutal and monstrous serial killers before him? If you don’t believe us, just take a look at the following list of the worst serial killers of antiquity which make the famous, and yet unidentified, British serial killer look like a novice in comparison! Before Jack the Ripper began his legendary killing spree in London in the 1800s, there is a long list of infamous serial killers active throughout history.

What makes a serial killer became a serial killer