Wikipedia is, as always, helpful, wherein on the subject of ‘Human branding’ it says: Human branding or stigmatizing is the process by which a mark, usually a symbol or ornamental pattern, is burned into the skin of a living person, with the intention that the resulting scar makes it permanent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_branding A further extract on the use of … More There is a terrible truth in the origin of the term ‘brand’ for me, which stops me ever associating with it.