The “blood eagle” was a very real thing, though.
Well, probably. Vikings were said to have used a form of torture called the “blood eagle,” and it’s about as terrible as you can imagine. Essentially, a victim’s ribs were cut out of the back of their body before their lungs were pulled through, like wings. It seemed to be a punishment reserved for royalty, and even if the accounts are a little embellished, it’s not like they’re totally unbelievable, either.