Setting the Record Straight

The Death of Catherine the Great

The Myths:
1. Catherine was crushed to death by a horse whilst attempting to have sex with it (usually the collapse of a harness/lifting mechanism is blamed).
2. Catherine died on the toilet.

The Truth (1):
Catherine died in bed of illness; there were no equines involved and a Catherine/horse nexus was never attempted.

I was once told the horse, harness, hoist and collapsing scaffolding story by a person with a graduate degree in European history. I did voice skepticism at the time. But it is a good story and just in case I ever passed it on I want to set the record straight here: Catherine the Great died while having sex with a horse. I mean didn't die. Having sex. With a horse.