Mouth of Truth, Rome

Next stop was the Mouth of Truth, where superstition has it that if you place your hand in the mouth of this ancient carving of a pagan god and tell a lie, your hand will be chopped off. Thankfully Brad and I passed the test.

While no one is exactly sure when or why the frieze was created, there are a number of theories dating back to the 1st century. While the origin is up for debate the legend surrounding the stone carving biting the hand off a liar seems to have originated during the Middle Ages when the disc was supposedly used during trials. The accused put their hand in the slot and if found guilty a hidden axe man would lop off the appendage. And to think we put our hands in that same spot.Read more