Medieval Torture

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Medieval Torture
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Medieval Torture

• 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

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Whirligig

• Spinning Cage
• Primarily used for military punishment

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Wooden Wedges

• Used to force confessions
• Forced underneath toenails and fingernails
• Other tortures used with the wedges when this was
  not enough to force confession

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Scissors

• Used to slice tongue after victims mouth was
  forced open

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The Copper Boot

• Place around victims foot
• Filled with molten lead

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The Sprinkler

• Filled with molten metal
• Dripped on body of the victim

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Water Torture

• Victims nostrils pinched shut
• Fluid poured down throat

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The Thumbscrew

• Placed on thumb and tightened until bone is
  crushed

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Iron Maiden

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

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The Spanish Donkey

• Victim placed on top
• Weights tied on legs

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The Foot Press

• Press slowly squeezed the naked foot between the
  iron plates
• Crushed bones

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The Head Crusher

• Victims head placed inside clamp
• Tightened until it cracked the skull

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The Scottish Boot

• Boot placed around ankle
• Wedges then forced into the ankle

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The Masks and Branks
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The Chastity Belt

• Used to prevent infidelity and encourage women to
  be faithful
• Used to prevent women from being raped

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The Garrotte

• Iron collar with iron rod being tightened from
  behind
• Victim died from asphyxiation and because spinal
  cord was being crushed
• Used in Spain until 1975

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Inquisitional Chair

• Spikes cover back, armrest,
• and seat
• Victim strapped around waist,
• wrist, and chest
• Used up until the 19th Century

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The Rack

• Stretched victim until bones and joints were
  pulled apart
• If victim did not die they were often so injured
  they could not take part in a confession

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Cats Paw or Spanish Tickler

• Used to rip victims flesh
• from the bone
• Victims tied up by hands and feet

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The Wheel

• One of the most painful and common acts of
  torture
• Victim tied down with limbs spread
• Cross pieces placed under joints and limbs and
  then smashed
• with iron-tyred edge of the wheel

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The Heretics Fork

• Forks penetrated the skin under the chin and over
  the chest
• Forks did not penetrate into vital points,
  prolonging suffering before death

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The Saw

• Inflicted for a variety of crimes including
  witchcraft, rebellion, and military disobedience.
• Victim inverted to slow down general loss of
  blood so he did not loose consciousness at once,
  and could endure longer suffering.

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Judas Cradle

• Hung by iron belt surrounding upper waist
• Bound hand and foot
• Used in multiple ways

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The Guillotine
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Brazen Bull

• Victims slowly burned to death

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Rat Torture

• Rats used to eat away at the victims body.
• Would put rat under a bowl and then heat it.
• Rat would end up eating through the victim trying
  to escape

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Pear of Anguish

• Used to get a confession or to cause miscarriages
  of a woman who cheated on her husband.
• Was slowly opened up

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Foot Roasting

• They would put the victims legs in the foot
  stocks and put hot coals underneath or light a
  fire.
• It would burn the legs to the bone

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Pillory Torture

• Used to embarrass victims
• Stuff could be thrown at them
• They would be beaten or whipped

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Crocodile Tube

• Put into a coffin like case with spikes like
  crocodile teeth.
• They would put fire under the tube and heat it up
  but also close the tube in more and more on the
  victims body
• Used on thieves

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The Spanish Spider

• Used to mutilate a womans chest

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Flaying Torture

• Slowly with a small knife they will skin the
  victim
• Started with the face and only did a little at a
  time.
• They would leave the victim then come back later
  and do a little more.

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Boiling Pot

• Used to boil the victim alive

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Public Torture

• Used to embarrass the victim out in public

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Brain Page

• According to the basic definition of
  civilization, are the Middle Ages civilized? Why
  or Why not?
• What has the word civilized come to mean?

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Brain Page

• How do torture and religion relate? Why would a
  simple, uneducated peasant enjoy watching someone
  getting tortured? (think religiously)

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Brain Page

• Answer the following question in your notebook
• How/Why have we, as a world and society, gone
  from one that uses torture devices to one like
  todaythat, in America stresses humanity? What
  events, inventions, etc.. have occurred to help
  us get where we are today? Is this progress?
  Why do you think some countries still use torture
  today? Should Torture be aloud during times of
  war?