What was whipping at the carts tail?

this was a form of corporal punishment in medieval times. A person found guilty of a crime would be stripped naked, hands tied to the back end of a ox drawn cart, and led through the village or villages where the offence(s) took place. Someone in authority would beat them, usually with a switch made out of birch twigs (called "birching"). Not only was it painful but the public nature of being exposed to friends and relatives this way was in itself a great part of the 'discipline'. Forms of this punishment carried over into the 'new world' of America as well.