True story of man thought to have inspired Disney villain died one of the most 'horrific' deaths ever

People are only just learning a Disney villain was based on a real person - and died one of the most horrific deaths ever.

The touching 1995 American animated musical, Pocahontas, might seem like a whimsical romance topped off a touch of Disney magic, but it actually nods to a somewhat dark period in US and British history.

It is loosely based on how English settlers from the Virginia Company came to colonize the east coast of North America and how indigenous tribes, like the Powhatan princess we know in the film, came to be treated by the new arrivals.

As you might recall from the movie, British Governor John Ratcliffe says upon arrival: "This is my land, I make the laws here, and I say anyone who so much as looks at an Indian without killing him on sight will be tried for treason and hanged.”

The evil villain in the Disney film (Walt Disney Pictures)

The power-hungry, pompous, greedy and racist Governor goes on to create Jamestown and exploit the land in search for gold.

However, what many fans of the movie are only just discovering is that John Ratcliffe was actually a real person, born in Lancashire, England, in 1549 who who became the president of the colony of Jamestown in 1607.

The real Ratcliffe, who was actually born John Sicklemore before changing his name as an alias, initially served as a seaman before going to Virginia.

While Disney has never confirmed that the real Ratcliffe and the Pocahontas villain are one and the same, as there are some similarities between the two, fans have long assumed that the Governor served, at the very least, as an inspiration to the story - much like Pocahontas herself, whose story was made more PG and had a happier ending than in real life.

According to historical claims, Ratcliffe was also apparently unpopular amongst his fellow colonists and did, like the Disney movie, work with explorer, John Smith, who was also saved by the Native American tribe by the daughter of the Powhatan chief.

A portrait of Pocahontas (Getty Images)

Anyway, while the good guy is shipped back to England in the Disney movie, Ratcliffe is also sent back to face punishments for his crimes against the land.

Yet, in reality, Ratcliffe faced a far harsher fate.

During the 'starving time' of Jamestown in the winter of 1609-1610, where residents dropped from 500 to around 61 in the spring, Ratcliffe was ambushed and attacked by a group of Powhatan natives.

An engraved portrait of the English colonist and adventurer, John Smith (Stock Montage/Getty Images)

It is believed he was snatched and tied to a stake in front of a fire where women of the tribe flayed - in other words, skinned him alive - using mussel shells.

To add to the agony, the tribe apparently skinned his body right before his eyes before throwing pieces of his skin into fire, as a written account by a surviving captain, George Percy, revealed.

Taking to Reddit, dozens of viewers said they were horrified to learn how he died, and joked it should make it in the final cut of any live action remake, for the sake of historical accuracy.

"This better be in the live action remake, Disney. Don't pussy out on this one," the viewer wrote while another volunteered Nicolas Cage to play the part while referencing the actor's role in the horror movie, The Wicker Man, where the character was tortured by bees.

Another said: "The fact that people aren’t immediately dead after being skinned alive horrifies me. I guess I’ll add this to the list of other irrational yet potential ways I could die."

A second chimed: "I didn't even know flaying was a thing until watching Game of Thrones and that honestly f***** me up."

Grim indeed.