Some courts used torture to determine if someone accused of a crime was truly guilty. Double doors open on the front, allowing entrance for the victim. It was an iron mask which attached to a helmet. >>, Medieval Torture devices such as The Pear were used to obtain confessions from medieval women who were accused of being witches and similar, however the Pear Torture device was so brutal that the victim was usually killed. It is alternately referred to as Skeffington's gyves. British authorities favored branding the face with a mark of shame, such cutting off one or both ears, or slicing the nose lengthwise [sources: Farrington and Parry]. Medieval witchcraft was not tolerated in some medieval times and was punished with a death sentence, at other medieval times people were more tolerant of medieval witchcraft. The torturers would then burn the soles of their feet, which were blistered and fried by a medieval torture device called a blazing brazier, this is why the Stocks deserves a place in this list of 13 Terrifying Medieval Torture Devices. The Strappado deserves is place in this list of 13 Terrifying Medieval Torture Devices. They represent a condition of thought in which men had pondered long and carefully on all the forms of suffering, had compared and combined the different kinds of torture, till they had become the most consummate masters of their art, had expended on the subject all the resources of the utmost ingenuity, and had pursued it with the ardour of a passion.". The courts themselves even recognized, in their twisted way, that a confession given under torture held no legal meaning. Both instruments were designed to break the most sensitive of organs. A wooden bar slid down along the metal bars, pressing the thumbs against the bottom. But among the intimate forms there existed even more terrible devices. These devices were separately created for men and women. Next, we'll finish up our torturous tour with a set of implements reserved for women. After the victim had been subjected to the bone-crushing effects of the wheel the body was like a lump of jelly and they were often then just hung up and left to die if they were still alive, literally tied up on the wheel. The Mysterious Skeletons in Ben Franklin's Basement, ­Top 10 Heads That Rolled during the Reign of Henry VIII, Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. The rack was used throughout Eu­rope for centuries. Finally, the wheel would be attached to the top of a tall wooden pole and left out in the sun for days. Most medieval European countries used some form of torture as part of their countries legal proceedings. It's an upright sarcophagus with spikes on the inner surfac­es. Wheels were adapted to many torturous u­ses. Both women and men accused of witchcraft were burned at the stake in England, France and other locales well into the 17th century. Tomas de Torquemada: Architect of Torture During the Spanish Inquisition. If the person being tortured did not make a confession of guilt then the board, which gave temporary relief, would be removed and the torture would commence again, until the correct confession was obtained. It was a wooden device that vaguely resembled an actual horse in shape. The wheel or ‘Breaking Wheel’ was also called the execution wheel or Catherine wheel. Philip H. Nicklin, Philadelphia, 1819 (original work published in 1764). However, they were relatively short spikes, so the wounds wouldn't be instantly fatal. Throughout the galaxy, any practice by which severe pain and/or suffering was inflicted on a being, whether physical or mental, was considered torture.1 Torture was used for such purposes as obtaining from the subject or a third party information2 or a confession,3 or as punishment for an act an individual had or was suspected of having committed.4 Other motives were simple … The Rat Torture - Rats were used for torture. 13 Terrifying Medieval Torture Devices List 1) Torture Rack – A popular medieval torture device. Every joint would then be smashed to pieces using the edge of the wheel. The torture rack operator would then turn the rollers at each side; immense pain was transmitted to the victim as the pulling mechanism of the torture device dislocated every joint in a person’s body. Medieval torture devices were very gruesome and torture techniques advanced as the medieval period progressed. 1428 – 1477 >>. In the 1800s, researchers found one in a castle in Nuremberg, Germany, and documented proof of its use later surfaced [source: Innes]. For example, Queen Mary I of England used burning at the stake to combat the Protestant Reformation. Why is Mesopotamia called the cradle of civilization? Read more about the Burned Alive **Evil Medieval Torture Methods >>, During medieval times people accused of crimes were often burned at the stake, although the fashionable period for accusing people of being witches and burned at the stake was during the middle and late medieval periods. Turning the key opened the leaves, causing massive internal damage [source: Medieval Times & Castles]. The pillory itself does no harm to the victim, though it's certainly not comfortable. The Judas cradle was an iron pyramid with belts attached, the victim was usually naked and placed on top of the pyramid, hoisted above and then lowered. Torture In the Spanish Inquisition. There was a wide range of medieval torture devices that were available in the Middle Ages and medieval torture actually reached its peak around the 12th century in medieval times. Goldberg, Enid A. Torture seemed to be the best way of inciting a confession, and the Church would use instruments such as thumb and leg screws, head clamps, and the iron maiden to generate the “truth” they needed to enact death. Last Updated on February 25, 2021, by eNotes Editorial. Vlad the impaler was famous for the way he impaled people on spikes. What People Get Wrong About Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Bein­g burned at the stake was usually the last stop for torture victims, because this form of torture was invariably fatal. Early torturers were fond of tying someone to a large wooden wheel, then pushing it down a rocky hillside. The victim might be alive for hours, enduring the agony of his or her mangled arms and legs and the relentless sun, not to mention the attentions of crows [source: Hunt]. Worst Torture in Medieval Times - Not only criminals but innocent people were also often tortured, as during the Spanish Inquisition. Praise for The Once and Future Witches: "A gorgeous and thrilling paean to the ferocious power of women. Act 1, Scene 1. Read more about the Medieval Witchcraft and Wicked Witches! One of the most horrible wheel tortures was akin to crucifixion. The pear was inserted into the vagina, anus or throat, depending on the nature of the crime committed: The oral device was reserved for heretics, while the anal and vaginal pears were used on homosexuals and witches, respectively. Three witches enter, amid thunder and lightning. In this article, we will explore a collection of the most heinous torture devices ever invented. Obviously due to the pain that the victims were in, they were unable to sleep or relax on the Judas Cradle. If that was not enough some other, models of the iron maiden had two spikes positioned to stick through the eyes of the victim. Octopus Publishing Group, 2000. The simplicity of burning heretics at the stake apparently wasn't enough, as torturers sought to add more "fun" elements to the proceedings. These 10 devices show just how creative torturers became with their tools as a result. The scorched and swollen tongue would only allow strange, muffled screams of pain once the burning began, which supposedly added a great deal to the audience's entertainment. "The Pear of Anguish."http://www.medievality.com/pear-of-anguish.html. ­The Scavenger's Daughter was invented by, and named after, a Brit nam­ed Skevington. Victims were usually mutilated before being put into the cages to scare other people and to stop them from committing crimes. Critics of these criminal "justice" systems pointed out the absurdity of such a practice: If a person would confess to committing a crime themselves under torture, why would a person hesitate to accuse others while being subjected to incredible pain [source: Beccaria]? This epoch, lasting roughly 1,0­00­ years, from the 5th century to the 15th­, was a time of great inequality and brutality in much of Europe. Boiling. Surprisingly, few torturers had­ any reservations about torturing women -- in fact, women-only tortures often seemed especially cruel and were designed to destroy specific aspects of femininity. While the goal of public humiliation was the same, the stocks allowed victims to protect themselves from thrown objects. Read more about the Branks Torture Device >>, The Brazen Bull torture device originated in Greece. Luckily, for children and women the “caring torturers” preferred to use this type of torture device on children and females as they considered it a gentler form of torture than devices such as rack, and it would not kill them quickly. Other names included The Virgin and, in German, Jungfer. Torture was often included as part of a judicial sentence against a criminal. Eventually, ribs and breastbone would crack and the spine could be dislocated. The Fortune Press, Paris, 1903 (original work published in 1605). The torture rack was a truly gruesome torture device; unbelievably the victim could also be subjected to additional forms of torture at the same time as being stretched on the torture rack. Inventing Human Rights. Amazingly, the horrific torture depicted here did not stop the monks pictured from waiting for the martyr's confession with quill in hand. What really sets this time apart is the ghoulish inventiveness that gave rise to a plethora of torture methods. While supposed witches were commonly tortured using this method, thieves and murderers could be subjected to it in order to extract a confession. The accused was tied to a stake and a fire was lit around them, as people cheered the person was set alight and burned to their death, quite a simple method really for medieval torture but also one of the Terrifying Medieval Torture Devices of the time. The strappado was another stretching torture device where the victim would be hung from a sturdy rafter by their wrists with a rope and their arms would be bound behind their backs. When opened, the victim places his or her head and arms through the holes. Burning, beating and suffocating were very common techniques that were used in medieval torture methods, surprisingly, the Roman Catholic Church were heavily involved in medieval torture. (Anguskirk/ CC BY NC ND 2.0 ) Like many other torture devices, the rack was used mainly to extract confessions from victims. Read more about the Strappado Torture Device >>, The scavengers daughter was a nasty Medieval torture device that used compression to torture its victims. BDSMArtWork Full Siterip! Torquemada, the infamous torturer of the Spanish Inquisition, was known to favor a stretching rack known as a potoro [source: Goldberg & Itzkowitz]. As well as using the rack there were other means of torture that were practiced upon children and women and people either of lower crimes or with less strength, as the purpose of the torture was to often to get results, not really to kill the person. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. Athena and her sisters,, the daughters of a conquered barbarian king, were to be slowly tortured to death in the arena. Dunking was also used as punishment for common scolds. "http://www.medievality.com/breast-ripper.html, Medieval Times & Castles. The Branks also commonly known as the Scold’s bridle was a medieval torture device that you may have seen in medieval films, it was a metal facial mask of some description, usually they had a spiked mouth depressor and this was a torture device used on homemakers in the early 19th century. The torture devices that were invented were particularly sickening and it beggars belief that human beings could have used torture devices like this to inflict maximum pain on their fellow man. A Scottish man brought a set home with him and introduced them to the United Kingdom [Kellaway and Parry]. It came in many forms, but here's the basic idea: The victim is tied down while some mechanical device, usually a crank or turning wheel, tightens the ropes, stretching the victim's body until the joints are dislocated. The wheel itself could also have spikes mounted on it, so the pain came from all directions. If they refused, however, they were simply tortured until they confessed again [source: Innes]. Witch Torture and Witch Tests. Mercury Books, 2003. Instead of swinging, the wheel might turn on an axle. The victim dropped down onto the pointed pyramid capstone after their legs had been stretched out over it and sometimes their legs had weights put on them so that the point of the pyramid would penetrate both orifices. People of medieval times could also be whipped, Boiled in water, oil or even lead. Word Count: 1038. Read more about the Pear of Anguish >>, The strappado torture device was used extensively during the Inquisition's. Farrington, Karen. This torture would take strange forms: Someone's arm would be forced into boiling water, and the verdict would be based on how well the arm healed days later. The iron maiden was a torture device that was also known as the virgin of Nuremberg, it was basically like a giant coffin or container that had two doors that opened from the middle, like a double door cupboard and Inside the doors were talons similar to spikes. The apparatus consists of a hoop of iron with a hinge in the middle. The History of Torture in England. A screw pressed the wood bar downward, crushing the thumbs painfully. W.W. Norton and Company. In his 1975 b­ook "A History of Torture in England," L.A. Parry attempted to explain this bizarre phenomenon: ­"...What strikes us most in considering the mediaeval tortures, is not so much their diabolical barbarity … as the extraordinary variety, and what may be termed the artistic skill, they displayed. Other courts simply tortured people to get them to confess to the crime. The History of Torture and Execution. Bachrach, Deborah. Stones and other blunt objects were thrown as well, which could result in painful injuries or death. The victim would have the bones in all four limbs broken in two places by strikes from an iron bar. It quickly became clear that one of the primary duties the A Discovery of Witches incarnation of Cecil gives Matthew is the extraction of information from prisoners through torture. The door was shut, sealing them in. The victim was tied to a beam on the top (the horse's "back"), facing up. Sometimes the compression was so great that blood would gush from the fingertips and face [source: Parry]. This practice didn't die out at the end of the Middle Ages, however. Medieval torture could have taken place anywhere in medieval times however most torture that took place during this period was in the many Castle dungeons across Europe. Beccaria, Cesare. The Pear of Anguish - A very painful torture applied almost exclusively on witches, liars, blasphemers and homosexuals. Innes, Brian. Of Crimes and Punishments. The use of medieval torture devices is one of the darker aspects of the medieval times although it is interesting to read about these 13 Terrifying Medieval Torture Devices. Continued pressure could cause the limbs to be torn right off. The head crusher would crush teeth and jaws and force eyes out of their sockets. ( A. R. Allinson, trans.) (Ingraham, Edward D., trans.) Instruments of torture used on medieval prisoners included nasty things such as , Racks, Scavenger’s Daughter and Collar. >>, Read more about the Strappado Torture Device >>, Read more about the The Scavenger’s Daughter >>, Read more about the The Spanish Inquisition 1478 >>, Read more about the Thumbscrew Torture >>, Read more about the Torture Rack – Torture Device >>, Vlad the Impaler – Torture, Death and Dracula! See Brazen Bull images, learn Brazen Bull Facts and information. It was a metal claw that pierced the flesh of the breast. The accused had to testify against himself and did not have the right to face and question his accuser; torture became a frequent means of soliciting testimony from the accused. Based on Deborah Harkness’s best-selling novel, A Discovery of Witches is a contemporary love story that begins against the backdrop of Oxford academic life, in a world where small numbers of witches, vampires and daemons live and work, unseen amongst humans, hiding in plain sight. A metal device that fit around the head and had metal protrusions that would slide into the victim’s mouths making it impossible to talk. A pillory is a­ set of two parallel wooden boards clasped together, with holes for the neck and wrists. These public humiliations were sometimes followed by bizarre sexual mutilations. 1428 – 1477, Read more about the Vlad the Impaler – Torture, Death and Dracula! Such torture was known as being "broken on the rack," "racked," or "stretched on the rack." The stocks became very popular medieval torture device because confessions could be extracted from the person without them actually dying, as they would often do on the rack! The pillory was rarely fatal, but it remained an effective social deterrent. Female victims were given to soldiers to be raped, or sent to brothels. It was another infamous medieval torture device that was particularly gruesome, one of the most popular and gruesome methods of tortured used in the medieval period and that is saying something. Witches were once considered valuable members of their communities. The victim could be humiliated as well, if the husband felt it was necessary by being chained to a market Cross or paraded through the streets for public ridicule. It was used as both a method of punishment and interrogation -- to mark the breasts of unmarried mothers and mutilate women convicted of heresy, adultery and a host of other crimes. Despite the horror of simply being burned at the stake, the torturers of the Inquisition in the Netherlands developed a particularly cruel twist: Prior to being tied to the stake, the victim's tongue would be sandwiched between two hot iron plates. A scold's bridle, sometimes called a witch's bridle, a brank's bridle, or simply branks, was an instrument of punishment, as a form of torture and public humiliation. For example, pears and wooden phalluses. Read more about the 11 Bloodcurdling Torture Devices of the Middle Ages >>, The Branks torture device also widely known as the Scold's Bridle and the Gossip's Bridle was used for minor crimes in cases where humiliation was the intended punishment. Equal parts spa treatment and party drug, news of the regenerative powers of adrenochrome spread quickly among the world scientific … The movements and sounds, muted by the bull's mass, made the apparatus appear alive, the sounds inside like those of a real bull. Medieval Times & Castles. They were free, available and painful if known how to use. The victim was forced to crouch on one half of the hoop while the other half was pivoted and placed over his back. Test your IQ of some of the baddest women in history with our quiz. A Popular Medieval Torture Device device was the infamous torture rack, which was very successful in extracting confessions from people. They might be tied up or paraded through public streets naked. While a spell in the pillory often only lasted an hour or two, usually during the busiest times of day, its effect really depended on the nature of the crime and the mood of the crowd. For lesser crimes, the victim might instead be placed in stocks, leg irons that restrained the ankles. A Popular Medieval Torture Device device was the infamous torture rack, which was very successful in extracting confessions from people.The tortured person was stretched out on a rack, tied by the ankles and wrists across a flat board that had rollers at both sides. © 2021 medievalchronicles.com - All rights reserved. An homage to the indomitable power and persistence of women, The Once and Future Witches reimagines stories of revolution, motherhood, and women's suffrage—the lost ways are calling. The practice of torturing women sexually extends back to Roman times (and surely even before then). During her five-year reign, from 1553 to 1558, 300 people were burned to death for their religious views. In other words, the Inquisition was trying to find out which of the people whom they had forced under penalty of death to convert to Christianity weren't really Christians.. To achieve this end, the Inquisitors employed several means of torture to aid their … Worst of all was a device known as the Breast Ripper. To add to the abject horror of it all, two spikes were positioned specifically to penetrate the eyes. A variation found in Spain was made to look like the Virgin Mary, and had machinery that, when manipulated, caused her to "hug" the victim close to her spikes [source: Innes]. Trattato Degli Instrumenti di Delle Varie Maniere di Martirizare (Tortures and Torments of the Christian Martyrs). Eventually, the fire was extinguished by the downpour of blood as the victim's limbs were torn free [source: Gallonio]. Today, a special event would take place. A simple torture technique was to place a board between the fire and the person’s feet at regular intervals and then to remove it to give temporary relief from the pain. The fear of waking up in a casket drove the invention of “life-revival devices” like the Bateson’s Belfry. ­It's unlikely, but if there could be anythi­ng worse than the Breast Ripper, it is surely the Pear of Anguish. 1428 – 1477 >>. Fires would then be lit around the bull. The device was rarely fatal, but other methods of torture would usually follow. The ostensible goal of the Inquisition, you'll recall, was the discovery of false converts. The garrotte was another name for hanging in the Middle Ages during the middle Ages lawmakers were always looking for ways to improve punishment techniques and in the 18th century the idea of slow strangulation was an idea that became popular amongst lawmakers. Read more about the Torture Rack – Torture Device >>, Vlad the Impaler was probably one of the most evil people in History, his rule was around the late medieval period. As Sirius Black informed Harry Potter, almost all wizards of their time have Muggles in their family trees, though … The head crusher was yet another gruesome medieval torture device that was made of metal and was a mechanism to crush the skull, the victim had their chin placed on a bar and the screw action of the head crusher forced pressure downwards on the head. Parry, L.A. People were often tortured to force religious conversions. Read more about the Vlad the Impaler – Torture, Death and Dracula! The Inquisition. Read more about the Catherine Wheel >>, Medieval Crime and Punishment was fairly inconsistent and quite severe compared to today. The rope would be dropped from height after it had been tossed over the beam repeatedly. A more elaborate method involved a wheel mounted to an A-frame that allowed it to swing freely. The tortured person was stretched out on a rack, tied by the ankles and wrists across a flat board that had rollers at both sides. Up next, a very old and very familiar medieval torture device, plus some variations on a theme. Read more about the Judas Cradle – Torture Device >>, There were different attitudes to witchcraft during different medieval periods. Thousands were tortured during the Inquisition on the pretext of religious heresy or conversion, although Inquisitors in general were often motivated by more earthly concerns - they took over the estates and wealth of their victims [source: Bachrach]. In one example, eight spikes protruded from one door, 13 from the other. Franklin Watts, 2007. Others who won the crowd's favor by refusing to pay unjust taxes or mocking government officials were showered with flowers or rescued from the pillory outright [source: Kellaway]. As the victim succumbed to the searing heat inside, he would thrash about and scream in agony. Then the pillory is closed, and the victim can't possibly escape. Such a confession had to be confirmed by the victims while not being tortured within 24 hours. The next section features one of the most infamous torture devices of all time, plus its lesser known cousin. Four English men who had falsely accused others of crimes to get the reward (sending innocents to the hangman's noose) were beaten to death by the crowd. The torturer would use a screw to tighten the hinge, crushing the victim further and further into his involuntary crouch. In order to execute the accused, however, the women first needed to confess. The rack was designed in such a way that if a person refused to … 16th century Scotland and England used Scold’s Bridle on women considered as witches, shrews or scolds, particularly for public humiliation. The History of Torture. The goal was to strike fear into the hearts of other Protestants [source: Kellaway]. Minor medieval crimes were dealt with by humiliation whereas severe medieval crimes were punished by torture and death. 10 Most Cruel Torture Devices of All Time: 10. As such, people with less strength would not survive the more gruesome forms of torture such as with torture devices such as the pulley rack or fire. ­The period known as the Middle Ages stands out as one­ of ­the most violent eras in history. Sometimes, the vengeful crowd was the least of the victim's concerns. Read more about the Iron Maiden – Torture Device >>, The Judas Cradle was invented in the 16th century towards the end of the medieval period, it was of the new brand of particularly gruesome medieval torture devices that had been invented during this period. This was more common when other more sophisticated torture devices were not present. This was another torture device used widely in the infamous Spanish Inquisition and was particularly effective in forcing women to confess to crimes that they had or had not committed such as being a witch or committing adultery. eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'medievalchronicles_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',321,'0','0']));There were many different types of medieval torture devices developed during medieval times and people were often tortured in cases of hearsay as a way of extracting a confession from an accused person. The thumbscrews were an elaboration of an earlier device known as the pilliwinks, which could crush all 10 fingers and resembled a nutcracker [source: Parry]. Instead, the victim would linger and bleed to death over several hours [source: Kellaway]. They also faced torture because they may have committed heresy against the established church. In a 1939 study, perfusion of adrenochrome was found to regenerate and restart a frog’s heart, bringing the animal back to life and making adrenaline/epinephrine application in heart attack patients standard of care to this very moment.. Read more about the Brazen Bull – Horrific Torture >>, Burning alive, or burning at stake, was one of the most common punishments in medieval Europe associated with the crimes of heresy and blasphemy. Conceptually, it's a very simple process -- create a pile of dry wood with a stake at the center to tie the victim to, and then light it. The device consisted of three upright metal bars, between which the thumbs were placed. However, if you confessed, you would be strangled to death before the fire was lit, supposedly sparing you the agony. Use. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Being burned at the stake was not very good at all for victims as survival was pretty much none existent, surprisingly being burned alive was something that people wanted to watch as it was deemed entertaining Being burned at the stake would give someone his or her five minutes of fame and it was considered quite entertaining. The Strappado method used was designed so that the victims arms and shoulders would be dislocated, this form of torture was practiced until around 1820. The executioner however was careful not to kill the person outright, as they wanted them to suffer a long and painful death. (Imagine being placed into a giant set of iron dentures.) 13 Terrifying Medieval Torture Devices List. Europe's Medieval period lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. As we can see in medieval times, there was a lot of barbaric cruelty towards torture victims who in many cases were innocent of any crime. There is a wide range of medieval torture devices that were available in the Middle Ages. The devices are also the same ones that were used on the other Umbran Witches after the angels tricked humanity into turning on them, so their use falls under 'revenge' (case in point, when Bayonetta uses a Torture Attack on a demon she doesn't use these devices, instead just using her summoned demons to brutalize them).
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