Middle Ages Punishment and Torture

1. Ms. L Strong Preston High School Middle AgesPunishment and Torture

2. Facts about Torture, and Punishment • Torture was the most common method of extracting information, or confessions from people during the Middle Ages. • Torture often left the victim dead, or injured for life even if he gave in early. • The entrance to torture chambers was often through a series of winding passageways which muffled the screams of the victims from the normal inhabitants.

3. The Judas Cradle • Pyramid shaped object with a very sharp point. • Either drop the victim on the pyramid, have him sit on it, or sit on it with added weights. • This torture was almost always deadly because the pyramid shaped object was very rarely, if ever, washed and either the victim would bleed to death or contract an infection.

4. Coffin Torture • Victim would be placed in the “coffin” and left there for a set amount of time, or until death • When sentenced to death in the coffin, the coffin would be either: • Placed in the sun where the victim would be eaten alive by animals, • Stoned to death by the townspeople. • Torturer may make the coffin larger than normal to make it even more uncomfortable.

5. The Brazen Bull It’s inventor, Perillos of Athens, was searching for a more painful way to execute criminals A person, or multiple people would be burned alive while locked inside the device. Being burned is a slow and extremely painful way to be killed. It is believed to be like being boiled alive. The bull would be made of a metal or brass A fire would be set under it and the people would roast to death in the town square for all to witness

6. Said to be the most painful torture of them all. Victim would be strapped in to the device by both his arms and legs. As the torturer decides he can pull the lever which tightens the ropes. As the ropes tighten enough, the victims limbs become dislocated each with there own loud crack, and as he continues, the limbs are torn off which causes a quick death after due to bleeding out. The torturer would often force the victim to watch others be torn apart to inflict a psychological fear. Rack Torture

7. Water Torture Includes: Dunking (pictured) Chinese Water Torture The cauldron Freezing with water Waterboarding (pictured) Dunking was most often used with supposed witches Having drops of water drip in the same place on the victims head made the victim first be annoyed, followed by he or she going crazy, and then after many hours , perforation (small hole in forehead), and death. The victim would be placed in an empty cauldron which would be filled with cold water then a fire set below it in order to boil the victim to death. Freezing with water is where the torturer would strip the victim of all of his or her clothing in the winter and slowly pour water till the victim dies; the body was often left all winter to scare the towns people. Waterboarding is where water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning… caused lung damage, brain damage, and broken bones due to struggling

8. The Chair of Torture • Often had between 500 and 1,500 spikes. • The victim was strapped in so they could not move • The spikes would not hit any vital organs and the holes would be sealed up by the spike itself. • The torturer may light a fire under the seat in order to cause severe burning to the still living victim. • Time till death ranged greatly from a few hours to days

9. The Pear of Anguish • Used on women who had a miscarriage, liars, blasphemers, and homosexuals. • Women: Inserted into their vagina then the four “leaves” would spread apart and the torturer would either decide to tear the skin, or solely mutilate the victim. • Liars, and Blasphemers: one would be inserted into their mouth and openedto its full size • Homosexuals:Inserted into their rectum and opened to its full size. • The “pear’s” size would vary according to which orifice it was to be used in. • Death was very rare to be cause by this torture, and the victim would often be subjected to other means of torture following this.

10. Rat Torture • The victim was completely restrained and tied to the ground or any horizontal surface. • A rat was then placed on his stomach covered by a metallic container. • As the container was gradually heated, the rat began to look for a way out - through the victim's body. • Digging a hole usually took a few hours of agonizing pain for the victim. This almost always resulted in death.

11. Crocodile Tube and Crocodile Shears • TUBE: Not commonly used • One of the most cruel & used to torture thieves. • The victim was fixed inside a tube just big enough for the victim's entrance. • The tube, having crocodile teeth-like spikes, was slowly compressed leaving the victim totally immobilized. • With the help of carbon and fire underneath the tube, the torturer gradually heated the tube until he extracted a confession or killed the victim. • The Crocodile Shears were heated red hot and then used to rip off toes and fingersto have a victim confess or to punish thieves.

12. Pillory Torture • Tall wooden or metal post which was had holes in it to secure the head and various limbs. • The pillory was used to humiliate the person in it. • People in the crowd would throw fruit or garbage at the person in order to humiliate them. • Similar to the Stocks of the Renaissance Era

13. The Iron Maiden! • Iron cabinet with a hinged front and spike-covered interior • Sufficient enough to enclose a human being. • Once inside its conical frame, the victim would be unable to move due to the great number of steel spikes impaling them from every direction. • The interrogator would scream questions at the victim while poking them with jagged edges.