Ten of The Most Horrifying Medieval Torture Devices

Middle Ages or Medieval period is the period lasting from the 5th to the 15th century, this period will always be remembered as one of the most violent eras in history lasting roughly 1,000 years, it will always be remembered as a time of so much disparity, inequality, barbarism, brutality and cruelty in much of Europe. Perhaps One major thing that sets this time apart are the deadly and horrific medieval torture devices that gave rise to a plethora of torture methods used within this period.

The middle ages were a dark time in human history, and many gruesome devices were developed. Here is a short list of the top 10 most horrifying torture devices.

10. THE SCOLD’S BRIDLE

The scold’s bridle was a device that was used more to humiliate the wearer than it was to inflict pain. It consisted of an iron cage or mask that was worn on the victim’s head with a flat iron gag that protruded into the mouth and forced the tongue down. Sometimes this iron bit had a spike on the bottom to inflict pain if the tongue was moved. The scold’s bridle was usually used on women who were accused of gossiping or being a nag. Sometimes the bridle had an iron ring on the front so that a husband could parade his wife through town, and sometimes the bridle was designed to look like an animal head. Different masks advertised what the woman was accused of, such as a cow for a lazy woman, a hare for an eavesdropper, or a shrew for a woman who scolded too much.

9. THE HERETIC’S FORK

The Heretic’s Fork was a torture implement that avoided death while inflicting pain on the victim. It was widely used during the Spanish inquisition. The Heretic’s Fork consisted of an iron collar that went around the neck. Attached to the collar was an iron rod with a sharp fork at either end. One end of the rod was placed under the chin, and the other was placed on the victim’s chest. This made speaking or moving impossible and was usually used after the victim had already confessed to keep them from saying anything that could refute the confession.

8. THUMBSCREWS

Thumbscrews were usually used first in an attempt to extract a confession. The thumbs were placed into a metal vice that was tightened until they were crushed. This was extremely painful, but would not cause any lasting debilitating damage. Thumbscrews could also be used on the victim’s toes.

7. THE PICQUET

This was primarily used for discipline in the military. The victim was suspended in the air by either his thumb or his entire hand and a dull stake was placed in the ground under his foot. When the pressure of hanging from his hand got too painful, the victim could put his weight on the stake until that became too painful. The stake was almost never sharp enough to draw blood.

6. COFFIN TORTURE

Coffin torture was well known and widely feared. The victim was placed into an iron cage called the coffin. The time spent inside the coffin depended on the crime. Often the coffin would be placed in a public area so that crowds could come and mock the victim, sometimes while throwing rocks or garbage. People sentenced to death would be hung out in the sun until they died of thirst or exposure, which could take days.

5. JUDAS CRADLE

This was a horrific torture device where the victim was forced to sit on a pyramid shaped seat with the point inserted into either the anus or the vagina. The victim’s legs were tied together and weights were hung from them to increase pain. Judas Cradle was often a fatal torture. If the victim didn’t die from being split open then they would die of infection because the seat was never washed between victims. Pain and suffering could be increased by shoving the victim off of the seat, or by raising them from the point and dropping them back onto it repeatedly.

4. THE RACK

The rack is one of the most well-known forms of torture in the middle ages. A wooden frame was first built off of the ground. The victims legs were tied to one end of the frame and his arms were tied to ropes that wrapped around a roller at the top. The torturer could then crank the roller, stretching the victim’s body apart. Often the victim’s arms would be dislocated or even torn off. If the victim survived the torture they would occasionally be paralyzed or disabled due to the stretching of their spinal column. This was the preferred method of torture for getting confessions because if the victim refused to confess at first the torturer could simply continue to tighten the ropes.

3. THE BRAZEN BULL

First invented by the Greeks, this remained a popular form of torture all the way through the middle ages. The victim was placed into the body cavity of a large metal bull. A fire was built underneath, and the victim was slowly burned to death. Some bulls had a complex series of tubes that made the victims screams sound like the bellows of an enraged bull.

2. THE HEAD CRUSHER

The head crusher did exactly what the name suggests. The victims chin was placed on the lower bar of a frame, and a metal cap was secured to the top of his head. Then, the cap was slowly screwed down like a vise until the skull was crushed. This was one of the most extremely painful forms of torture and if the victim wasn’t outright killed he would be left blind or brain damaged.

1. THE SPANISH TICKLER

The Spanish tickler was one of the most horrifying torture devices in the Middle Ages. A series of metal claws were attached to the end of a pole and sharpened to be razor sharp. It was then used to rip the victim to shreds. The tickler would tear through skin, bone, muscles, and organs alike. The arms would be shredded first, then the legs and the body, and finally the face. Variations of the Spanish tickler were called the cat’s paw and the spider.