Medieval Ages, mainly marked the growth of the power of nobles in the
society. “Justice” those days meant only one thing, TORTURE. Ancient
torture methods were so brutal that they often resulted in death of the
accused.
Europe’s Medieval period lasted from the 5th to the 15th century.
During this time, torture was often used to extract confessions, or
obtain the names of accomplices or other information about crimes.
Laws and local customs did not impose limits on the treatment of
prisoners or the extent to which torture could be inflicted. In fact,
confessions were not considered genuine or sincere when so-called “light
torture” was used.
I bring you 9 horrifying ancient torture methods that will send a chill down your spine, each more scary than the other.
1. Judas cradle or Judas chair:
Using ropes, a prisoner would be lowered above the pyramid-shaped
“seat” with the point inserted into the anus or vagina. Victims would be
tortured by intense pressure and stretching of the orifice, resulting
in permanent damage.
In many cases, the victim would succumb to rips in the muscle tissue
that would later become infected. Weights would be added to facilitate
the effect, often resulting in death by impalement.
2. Breast ripper
Adultery in the medieval times didn’t have an easy escape, especially
for women. As the name suggests, this device was used to tear off the
breasts of the woman who was accused of adultery(or at times
self-abortion). The tool was popular in the Free State of Bavaria
(Germany) until the nineteenth century.
The ripper made of iron would be heated red hot before it’s used on
the accused, it would then be placed on the exposed breasts the spikes
would then be penetrated deep inside the skin. This in turn causes a
large chunks of flesh to come off and causes huge loss of blood. The
victim either dies or remains degraced for life.
3. Saw torture
This was a form of execution in which a living person was sawed in
half, either longitudinally or transversely, through the central body
mass. This was done either by sawing the individual in half across or
along the body length.
4. Pear of anguish:
This heinous contraption was used during the Middle Ages as a way to
torture women who were accused of facilitating a miscarriage. It was
also used to punish liars, blasphemers, and homosexuals. The device was
inserted into one of the prisoner’s orifices — the vagina for women, the
anus for homosexuals, and the mouth for liars and blasphemers (which is
why it’s also known as the Choke Pear).
The device featured four metal leaves that’s slowly separated from
each other as the torturer turns the screw at the top. The torturer
could use it to tear the skin, or expand it to its maximal size to
mutilate the victim. It rarely caused death, but was often followed by
other torture methods.
5. Boiling
In 1532, Henry VII of England, made boiling a legal form of capital
punishment. It began to be used for the murderers who used poison after
the Bishop of Rochester’s cook, Richard Rice mixed poison in the
porridge resulting in the death of two people.
A huge cauldron filled with tar, lead or oil would be brought to
boil, the accused would then be placed inside the cauldron so that he
would be cooked slowly, or placed in head in the boiling liquid.
6. Concrete shoes
Introduced by the American Mafia for the execution of their enemies,
traitors. The victim’s feet is placed inside cinder blocks and wet
cement would be poured inside it. When the cement dries up, the victim
will then be thrown into a river or other deep water body to drown and
never rise afterwards.
7. Iron chair
In medieval Europe, the Chair of torture was one of the most common
ancient torture methods. The victim is made to sit on the chair and to
avoid movement the victim’s wrists are tied to the chair and two bars
would then be pushed against it till the spikes penetrates the flesh and
the arm held firmly.
The idea of this type of a torture was to create psychological fear among the other victims, and easy extraction of confession.
8. Head crusher:
This is as self explanatory as the pictures and name appears. The
device, which is basically a vise for the head, slowly crushes the skull
and facial bones when the screw at the top is being turned. Even if the
torturer stopped before death, permanent damage to the facial muscles
and structure would occur.
9. The brazen bull:
This one is incredible in every way. So the bull is made of Bronze
and you place the victim inside it. Then you build a fire under the bull
and it heats up slowly cooking the victim alive.
The ‘mouth’ and inner piping of the bull was built in such a way that
the screaming of the victim inside sounded like the bellowing of an
angry bull. Interesting fact, the creator this device was considered so
sadistic that he was killed by the very King who he’d created it to
impress.
References:
1,
2 and
3
No comments:
Post a Comment