Transcript Medieval Torture Devices and The Inquisition

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