Medieval Torture Devices

Torture was used during the Middle Ages for three reasons: To force confessions or secret information from those accused To discourage dissent and intellectual freedom To persuade Jews, Muslims, and other non-believers to accept Christianity

The Pictures you are about to see were drawn during Medieval times. Make special note of how often clergy members are depicted in each sketch.

Iron Maiden Spikes in the Iron Maiden were strategically located to avoid major organs, thereby prolonging the inevitable death of the accused.

The Interrogation Chair This was painful from the start and only got worse. Pain could be increased by beating on the limbs.

Lockup Cell Small villages often had only a small lockup for holding criminals.There were no windows, no chamberpots and it was never cleaned. A person had to sit in their own vomit and waste, and in the person’s before them, and before them..and before them..

Public Humiliation Hunger, thirst, bad weather and jeers (along with stones and rotten fruit) of passersby made this treatment nastier than it looks. Afterwards, the victim often left town if at all possible.

Gossip’s Bridle The bridle was used to silence women who nagged, questioned authority, or gossiped. It was painful as well as humiliating, for the gag had a barbed tongue-piece.

Ducking Stool Three dips was common treatment for “socially difficult” women or habitually drunk men. How long the victim stayed under depended on public opinion.

Tying the offender to a horse, bull or wild animal and driving it away in a panic was not always fatal. But it did get rid of the fellow!

The Wheel The Wheel produced such violent disturbances in the body as it was swung around that it could kill.The only marks it produced were bruises around the eyes.

Whipping Done publicly and with a variety of instruments, the most popular was whipping in front of a crowd with brambles or a tree switch with stickers.

Used to extract confessions, fire was a wonderful tool!

Quartering The criminal had each limb tied to a horse and then the horses were sent out in 4 different directions, ripping the limbs from the body. Sometimes, bets were made on which portion of the body the head would be carried away with.

While prisoners were restrained in the dungeon, rats and vermin could crawl freely over their bodies, gnawing on fingers, toes, ears, and noses. This could be encouraged by pouring hot bacon fat over the prisoner.

Pressing Weights were added to the victim’s chest a little at a time until he eventually suffocated.

The Rack Usually the shoulder joints were displaced first, followed by the knees. If the torture continued, the victim’s abdomen would tear open next.

Water Torture Water was poured into the mouth through a funnel while the nose was clamped shut, forcing the victim to swallow to breathe. After a few quarts, one would either drown in his own vomit or his stomach would rupture.

Star-Kicking Strips of paper were placed between the victim’s toes and set afire.

Stocks A few hours in the stocks could be a death penalty for some unpopular people. Since a victim could not reach his face to wipe it, some would actually suffocate by the volume of things thrown at them by the passing crowd.

The End