Medieval Torture

Medieval Torture

By Spencer

Governments have used torture for as long as we know. The government would use it to punish criminals, enemies, as a way to get Intel. There are many methods that were use, icluding public humiliation, they use painful methods,and they will use torture methods to kill you. The worst torture devices were made in Medieval Times. In that time, the torture methods would strike fear into everyone. Some torture methods didn’t look bad but all of them were bad.

Public Humiliation

One method used by the government was public humiliation. This way doesn’t seem terrible, but these methods would drive some people crazy. There were many methods that were used such as stocks, the Scold's Bridle and the metal coffin. If you were sentenced to stocks, you were put in a wooden frame were you put your head and hands in and you weren’t able to move. The wooden plank had very small holes that would trap your arms and neck, and you would usually be placed in the busiest part of town. People would throw rotten food, feces, and stones at you. If you were put in the stocks you would be there for days or even weeks. The Scold’s Bridle was a mask that was used to hold the person's tongue so they wouldn't be able to speak. The Metal Coffin was a cage that they would hang out in public and you would stay in there for days. People would throw rocks, rotten food and feces at you in this too. Some people died in these because of the rocks people threw.

Painful Tortures

Another method that was used was just painful tortures. These were used to put people in so much pain that it would make you pass out or until you couldn’t go anymore. The main devices they used for this method were the Iron Chair, Pear of Anguish, and Heretics Forks. The iron chair was a chair that had over 100 metal spikes on it. Your hands and feet would be tied down to it and you would be forced to sit on it. The spikes weren’t long so they would just stab you everywhere. You would be there for days before you were released. The pear of anguish was a piece of metal that looked like a pear. It was able to be opened up into four sections. It was stuck up or into your anus or throat, and if you were a female it would be put in your vagina. Once it was inserted it was then opened up slowly until it couldn’t go anymore. The heretics fork was two bi-pronged forks that is put at your chin and chest but if you have to keep your head up or it will puncture you and you wouldn’t be able to get it off until someone does it for you. You would not be able to go to sleep with this on. These are some ways you would be tortured in medieval times.

Torture Til Death

Saw torture, being Hung Drawned and Tortured and the Brazen Bull were the worst ways to die. Being sentenced to Saw torture meant, you would be hung up by your feet and people would saw you in half from your anus all the way down to your head. If someone was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and tortured you would be hanged but before you died they would cut the rope. After that, it wasn’t over because after that they would tie each of your hands and feet to separate horses. Once you are tied up the horses go in different directions and rip off your limbs.The Brazen Bull torture device was completely made from bronze and was hollow inside. It was of the same size and shape of an original bull and had a door on one side that was large enough for a man to easily enter. Criminals were ordered to enter the bull and then the door was locked. After that, a fire was lit up under the bull and it was heated to a point that Brazen Bull was red hot and the criminals inside were roasted to death. The head of the Brazen Bull had specialized tubes that converted the screams of the tortured criminals into the bellowing of an infuriated bull.

These are just some examples of how bad torture was in medieval times. These methods are an important part of history. Some of these methods are still being used around the world today.

Docevski, Boban. “Most Gruesome Medieval Torture Devices.” The Vintage News, 9 June 2017, https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/04/05/20-most-gruesome-medieval-torture-devices/.

Grabianowski, Ed. “10 Medieval Torture Devices.” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 22 Dec. 2008, https://history.howstuffworks.com/10-medieval-torture-devices.htm.

“Medieval Torture Devices - See a List of Gruesome Medieval Torture Methods and Devices!” Medieval Torture Devices - See a List of Gruesome Medieval Torture Methods and Devices!, https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-torture-devices/.