Real torture. Rating of terrible tortures of the Middle Ages

In ancient times and the Middle Ages, torture was a cruel reality, and the tools of executioners often became the pinnacle of engineering. We have collected 15 of the most terrible methods of torture, with the help of which we dealt with witches, dissidents and other criminals.

Excrement bath

During the torture known as "bath sitting", the condemned person was placed in a wooden tub with only his head sticking out. After this, the executioner smeared his face with milk and honey so that flocks of flies would flock to him, which soon began to lay larvae in his body. The victim was also fed regularly, and the unfortunate man ended up literally bathing in his own excrement. After a few days, maggots and worms began to devour the victim's body as she began to decompose alive.

copper bull

The device, known as the Sicilian bull, was created in Ancient Greece and was a copper or brass bull that was hollow inside. On its side there was a door through which the victim was placed inside. Then a fire was lit under the bull until the metal became white hot. The victim's screams were amplified by the iron structure and sounded like the roar of a bull.

Impalement

This punishment became famous thanks to the famous Vlad the Impaler. The stake was sharpened, buried vertically in the ground, and then a person was placed on it. The victim slid down the stake under its own weight, piercing its insides. Death did not occur instantly; sometimes a person died within three days.

Crucifixion is one of the most famous methods of torture in ancient times. This is how Jesus Christ was killed. This deliberately slow and painful punishment involved the prisoner's arms and legs being tied or nailed to a huge wooden cross. He was then left to hang until he died, which usually took several days.

Sprinkler

Typically, this device was filled with molten lead, tar, boiling water or boiling oil, and then fixed so that the contents dripped onto the victim's stomach or eyes.

"Iron Maiden"

Iron cabinet with a hinged front wall and an interior covered with spikes. A person was placed in the closet. Every movement brought terrible pain.

Rope as a murder weapon

Rope is the easiest to use of all torture devices and has had many uses. For example, it was used to tie a victim to a tree, leaving him to be torn to pieces by animals. Also, with the help of an ordinary rope, people were hanged or the limbs of the victim were tied to horses, which were allowed to gallop in different directions in order to tear off the limbs of the condemned person.

Cement boots

Cement boots were invented by the American mafia to execute enemies, traitors and spies. They placed their feet in a basin, which was filled with cement. After the cement dried, the victim was thrown alive into the river.

Guillotine

One of the most famous forms of execution, the guillotine was made from a razor-sharp blade tied to a rope. The victim's head was fixed with stocks, after which a blade fell from above, cutting off the head. Decapitation was considered an instant and painless death.

Rack

The device, designed to dislocate every joint in the victim's body, was considered the most painful form of medieval torture. The rack was a wooden frame with ropes attached to its lower and upper parts. After the victim was bound and placed on the platform, the executioner turned the handle, pulling on the ropes tied to the limbs. The skin and tendons were torn, all the joints came out of the bags, and as a result, the limbs were completely torn off from the body.

Torture by rats

One of the most sadistic methods of torture involved taking a cage with one side open, filling it with large rats, and tying the open side to the victim's body. Then the cell began to be heated from the opposite side. The natural instinct of rodents forced them to flee from the heat, and there was only one way - through the body.

Judas Torture Chair

The scary device known as the Judas chair originated in the Middle Ages and was used in Europe until the 1800s. The chair was covered with 500 - 1500 spikes and equipped with rigid straps to restrain the victim. Sometimes a fireplace was installed under the seat to heat it from below. A chair like this was often used to scare people into confessing something while they watched the victim being tortured on the chair.

Sawing

First, the victim was hung upside down and then sawed alive, starting from the crotch.

Crocodile scissors

Such iron pincers were used to deal with regicides. The instrument was heated red-hot, and then the victim's testicles were crushed and torn from the body.

Wheeling

Torture, also known as the Catherine wheel, was used to slowly kill the victim. First, the victim's limbs were tied to the spokes of a large wooden wheel, which was then rotated slowly. At the same time, the executioner simultaneously smashed the victim’s limbs with an iron hammer, trying to break them in many places. After the bones were broken, the victim was left on a wheel, which was raised on a high pole, so that the birds could feed on the flesh of the still living person.

It is known that in the Middle Ages almost every castle had its own set of instruments for torture. There was such a terrible collection in the castle of the Count of Flandry in Belgium. Just looking at it is enough to send shivers down your spine.

I present to your attention a selection of instruments of torture that were widely used in the 14th-19th centuries during interrogations and simply torture throughout the world and especially in Europe

Interrogation chair.
The interrogation chair was used in Central Europe. In Nuremberg and Fegensburg, until 1846, preliminary investigations using it were regularly carried out. The naked prisoner was seated on a chair in such a position that at the slightest movement, spikes pierced his skin. The torture usually lasted several hours, and the executioners often intensified the agony of the victim by piercing his limbs, using forceps or other instruments of torture. Such chairs had different shapes and sizes, but they were all equipped with spikes and means of immobilizing the victim.

Another option was often used, which was a metal throne to which the victim was tied and a fire was lit under the seat, roasting the buttocks. The famous poisoner La Voisin was tortured on such a chair during the famous Poisoning Case in France in the 16th century.

Hand saw.
There is nothing to say about her, except that she caused death even worse than death at the stake.
The weapon was operated by two men who sawed the condemned man suspended upside down with his legs tied to two supports. The very position itself, which caused blood flow to the brain, forced the victim to experience unheard-of torment for a long time. This instrument was used as punishment for various crimes, but was especially readily used against homosexuals and witches. It seems to us that this remedy was widely used by French judges in relation to witches who became pregnant by the “devil of nightmares” or even by Satan himself

Throne.
This instrument was created as a pillory in the shape of a chair, and was sarcastically called the Throne. The victim was placed upside down, and her legs were strengthened with wooden blocks. This type of torture was popular among judges who wanted to follow the letter of the law. In fact,
The legislation regulating the use of torture allowed the Throne to be used only once during interrogation. But most judges circumvented this rule by simply calling the next session a continuation of the same first one. Using the Tron allowed it to be declared as one session, even if it lasted 10 days. Since the use of the Throne did not leave permanent marks on the victim's body, it was very suitable for long-term
use. It should be noted that at the same time as this torture, the prisoners were also “used” with water and a hot iron.

The Janitor's Daughter or Stork.
The use of the term "stork" is attributed to the Roman Court of the Holy Inquisition in the period from the second half of the 16th century. until about 1650. The same name was given to this instrument of torture by L.A. Muratori in his book “Italian Chronicles” (1749). The origin of the even stranger name "The Janitor's Daughter" is unknown, but it is given by analogy with the name of an identical device in the Tower of London. Whatever the origin of the name, this weapon is a magnificent example of the vast variety of coercive systems that were used during the Inquisition.
The victim's position was carefully thought out. Within a few minutes, this body position led to severe muscle spasms in the abdomen and anus. Then the spasm began to spread to the chest, neck, arms and legs, becoming more and more painful, especially at the site of the initial occurrence of the spasm. After some time, the one tied to the Stork passed from a simple experience of torment to a state of complete madness. Often, while the victim was tormented in this terrible position, he was additionally tortured with a hot iron and other means. The iron bonds cut into the victim's flesh and caused gangrene and sometimes death.

Shameful mask

Witch's chair.

The Inquisition chair, known as the witch's chair, was highly valued as a good remedy against silent women accused of witchcraft. This common tool was especially widely used by the Austrian Inquisition. The chairs were of various sizes and shapes, all equipped with spikes, with handcuffs, blocks for restraining the victim and, most often, with iron seats that could be heated if necessary. We found evidence of the use of this weapon for slow killing. In 1693, in the Austrian city of Gutenberg, Judge Wolf von Lampertisch led the trial of Maria Vukinetz, 57 years old, on charges of witchcraft. She was placed on the witch's chair for eleven days and nights, while the executioners burned her legs with a red-hot iron (insleplaster). Maria Vukinetz died under torture, going crazy from pain, without confessing to the crime.

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Common stake

The executioner, using a rope, could regulate the pressure of the tip and could lower the victim slowly or jerkily. Having completely let go of the rope, the victim was impaled with all his weight on the tip. The tip of the pyramid was directed not only to the anus, but also to the vagina, under the scrotum or under the tailbone. In this terrible way, the Inquisition sought recognition from heretics and witches. To increase pressure, weights were sometimes tied to the victim's legs and arms. Nowadays, they torture in this way in some Latin American countries. For variety, an electric current is connected to the iron belt encircling the victim and to the tip of the pyramid.

Brazier.
In the past, there was no Amnesty International association, no one intervened in the affairs of justice and did not protect those who fell into its clutches. The executioners were free to choose any, from their point of view, suitable means for obtaining confessions. They often also used a brazier. The victim was tied to bars and then "roasted" until genuine repentance and confession were obtained, which led to the discovery of more criminals. And life went on.

Water torture.
In order to best carry out the procedure of this torture, the accused was placed on one of the types of racks or on a special large table with a rising middle part. After the victim's arms and legs were tied to the edges of the table, the executioner began work in one of several ways. One of these methods involved forcing the victim to swallow a large amount of water using a funnel, then hitting the distended and arched abdomen. Another form involved placing a cloth tube down the victim's throat through which water was slowly poured, causing the victim to swell and suffocate. If this was not enough, the tube was pulled out, causing internal damage, and then inserted again, and the process was repeated. Sometimes cold water torture was used. In this case, the accused lay naked on a table under a stream of ice water for hours. It is interesting to note that this type of torture was considered light, and confessions obtained in this way were accepted by the court as voluntary and given by the defendant without the use of torture.

Maid of Nuremberg.
The idea of ​​mechanizing torture was born in Germany and nothing can be done about the fact that the Maid of Nuremberg has such origins. She got her name because of her resemblance to a Bavarian girl, and also because her prototype was created and first used in the dungeon of the secret court in Nuremberg. The accused was placed in a sarcophagus, where the body of the unfortunate man was pierced with sharp spikes, located so that none of the vital organs were affected, and the agony lasted for quite a long time. The first case of legal proceedings using the "Maiden" dates back to 1515. It was described in detail by Gustav Freytag in his book "bilder aus der deutschen vergangenheit". Punishment befell the perpetrator of the forgery, who suffered inside the sarcophagus for three days.

Public torture

Pillory has been a widespread method of punishment at all times and under any social system. The convicted person was placed in the pillory for a certain time, from several hours to several days. Bad weather during the period of punishment aggravated the situation of the victim and increased the torment, which was probably considered as “divine retribution.” The pillory, on the one hand, could be considered a relatively mild method of punishment, in which the perpetrators were simply exposed in a public place to public ridicule . On the other hand, those chained to the pillory were completely defenseless before the “court of the people.” Anyone could insult them in word or action, spit at them or throw a stone - such treatment, the cause of which could be popular indignation or personal enmity, sometimes led to injury or even death of the convicted person.

Chastity belt

Male chastity belt

Collar with handcuffs

Iron slipper

This device was developed in Austria at the end of the 17th century and looks like the comfortable slippers of our time. Using a screw, the size was adjusted in accordance with the punishment. The culprit was obliged to walk through the streets of the city with a bell, so that people would know that public punishment was being carried out. This saved the executioners’ strength, since the “slippers” themselves provided the torture. Just imagine what it's like to walk in slippers that are three sizes smaller than yours.

Gossip Girl Clip

Tempered forceps and scissors

In the Middle Ages, the church played a key role in politics and public life. Against the backdrop of the flourishing of architecture and scientific technology, the Inquisition and church courts persecuted dissidents and used torture. Denunciations and executions were widespread. Women were especially helpless and powerless. Therefore, today we will tell you about the most terrible medieval tortures for girls.

Their life was not like the fairy-tale world of chivalric romances. Girls were more often accused of witchcraft and, under torture, confessed to acts they did not commit. Sophisticated corporal punishment amazes with savagery, cruelty and inhumanity. The woman has always been to blame: for infertility and a large number of children, for an illegitimate child and various bodily defects, for healing and violation of biblical rules. Public corporal punishment was used to obtain information and intimidate the population.

The most terrible torture of women in the history of mankind

Most instruments of torture were mechanized. The victim was in terrible pain and died from his injuries. The authors of all the terrible instruments knew the structure of the human body well, each method caused unbearable suffering. Although of course these tools were used not only on females, they suffered more than others.

Pear of suffering

The mechanism was a metal bulb divided into several segments. There was a screw in the middle of the bulb. The device was inserted into the offending woman's mouth, vagina or anus. The screw mechanism opened the segments of the pear. As a result, internal organs were damaged: vagina, cervix, intestines, pharynx. A very terrible death.

The injuries caused by the device were incompatible with life. Usually torture was used on girls accused of having connections with the devil. At the sight of such a weapon, the defendants admitted to cohabiting with the devil and using the blood of babies in magical rituals. But confessions did not save the poor girls. They still died in the flames of the fire.

Witch chair (Spanish chair)

Applied to girls convicted of witchcraft. The suspect was secured with belts and handcuffs on an iron chair, in which the seat, back, and sides were covered with spikes. The person did not die immediately from loss of blood; the thorns slowly pierced the body. The cruel suffering did not end there; hot coals were placed under the chair.

History has preserved the fact that at the end of the 17th century, a woman from Austria, accused of witchcraft, spent eleven days in agony on such a chair, but she died without confessing to the crime.

Throne

A special device for long-term torture. The “throne” was a wooden chair with holes in the back. The woman's legs were fixed in the holes, and her head was lowered down. The uncomfortable position caused suffering: blood rushed to the head, the muscles of the neck and back became tense. But there were no traces of torture left on the suspect’s body.

A fairly harmless weapon, reminiscent of a modern vice, caused pain, broke bones, but did not lead to the death of the person being interrogated.

Stork

The woman was placed in an iron device that allowed her to be fixed in a position with her legs pulled to her stomach. This position caused muscle spasms. Prolonged pain and cramps slowly drove me crazy. Additionally, the victim could be tortured with a hot iron.

Shoes with spikes under the heel

The torture shoes were secured to the leg with shackles. Using a special device, spikes were screwed into the heel. The victim could stand on his toes for some time to relieve the pain and prevent the thorns from penetrating deeply. But it is impossible to stand in this position for a long time. The poor sinner was in for severe pain, blood loss, and sepsis.

"Vigil" (torture by insomnia)

For this purpose, a special chair with a pyramid-shaped seat was created. The girl was seated on the seat; she could not sleep or relax. But the inquisitors found a more effective way to achieve confession. The bound suspect was seated in such a position that the tip of the pyramid penetrated the vagina.

The torture lasted for hours; the unconscious woman was revived and returned to the pyramid, which tore her body and injured her genitals. To intensify the pain, heavy objects were tied to the victim’s legs and a hot iron was applied.

Goats for witches (Spanish donkey)

The naked sinner was seated on a pyramid-shaped wooden block, and a weight was tied to her feet to enhance the effect. The torture caused pain, but unlike the previous one, it did not tear the woman’s genitals.

Water torture

This method of inquiry was considered humane, although it often led to the death of the suspect. A funnel was inserted into the girl's mouth and a large amount of water was poured in. Then they jumped on the unfortunate woman, which could cause a rupture of the stomach and intestines. Boiling water and molten metal could be poured through the funnel. Ants and other insects were often placed into the victim's mouth or vagina. Even an innocent girl confessed to any sins in order to avoid a terrible fate.

Pectoral

The torture device is similar to a chest ornament. Hot metal was placed on the girl's chest. After interrogation, if the suspect did not die from painful shock and did not confess to a crime against faith, charred flesh remained instead of the chest.

The device, made in the form of metal hooks, was often used to interrogate girls caught in witchcraft or manifestations of lust. This instrument could be used to punish a woman who cheated on her husband and gave birth out of wedlock. A very tough measure.

Witch bathing

The inquiry was carried out during the cold season. The sinner was seated in a special chair and tied tightly. If the woman did not repent, dipping was carried out until she suffocated under the water or froze.

Was there torture of women in the Middle Ages in Rus'?

In medieval Rus' there was no persecution of witches and heretics. Women were not subjected to such sophisticated torture, but for murders and state crimes they could be buried up to their necks in the ground, punished with a whip so that their skin was torn to shreds.

Well, that's probably enough for today. We think that now you understand how terrible medieval torture was for girls, and now it is unlikely that any of the fair sex will want to travel back to the Middle Ages to the valiant knights.

Technical description

Artistic description

Sexual torture

The desire to curb human lust and assert power over the most intimate was the reason for the creation of a number of the most sophisticated and intricate torture devices. This is how anti-masturbation rings and chastity belts appeared.

The oldest example of a female chastity belt was found in Austria by the famous archaeologist Anton Pachinger and dates back to the 16th century. These devices were widely popular among knights who went on campaigns and were overly concerned about the fidelity of their spouses. They chained their wives and took the key with them. It must be said that although such iron shackles made it possible to relieve oneself, maintaining hygiene made it almost impossible. Over time, belt models improved and jewelers began to create locks. The keys were made in a single copy, and they could no longer be opened with master keys. In addition, the lock was designed in such a cunning way that it “pinched off” a piece from the object with which they tried to open it, and the husband returning from distant countries could see how many times his missus tried to free herself from the captivity of fidelity.

A century later, male chastity belts and rings were invented in Victorian England, originally intended for young boys to masturbate. In those days, it was generally accepted that masturbation led to blindness, madness, sudden death and other terrible consequences. However, depriving a man, especially a young man, of sex or masturbation is a real torture of his precious genitals, his nature. The structures were made of metal and were often equipped with spikes or simply squeezed the penis tightly, causing pain during arousal and making an erection impossible.

But among the “intimate” types of torture there were also more terrible ones. For example, pears and wooden phalluses. Their use was often accompanied by the interrogation or punishment of heretics and witches. Both weapons were aimed at tearing apart the most sensitive organs. The use of a pear was considered a more severe punishment, since before insertion it was usually heated and inserted into the mouth, anus or vagina. When the screw was tightened, the pear segments opened to their maximum extent. The victim writhed in convulsions and from prolonged interrogation could have completely died from large blood losses and painful shock.

Interesting fact:

The predecessors of chastity belts are considered to be leather belts, which were used to bind slaves in ancient Rome to prevent their pregnancy. Later, the purpose and appearance were transformed and already in medieval Europe they invented an iron structure designed to preserve chastity.

Artistic description

One of the main factors driving a person is the instinct of procreation and the pleasures that accompany it. The people who were the first to realize this simple truth began to use it to manipulate other people. To do this, they developed many sophisticated devices.

The husband of a young beautiful girl, leaving for distant lands, protected himself from betrayal. He asked the blacksmith to make her original underwear from durable iron. For several months she cannot walk or sit normally, the “chastity belt” rubs her thighs and crotch, and limits not only her sexual instinct, but also the access of water to her unwashed body.

Young men from religious families often suffer from pain at night from the pressure on the genitals of a protective cap made of metal rings or plates.

The second type of device serves to imitate actions of a sexual nature and aggravate them to truly monstrous forms.

A woman suspected of witchcraft is tightly tied up, completely undressed, and stretched out on a torture table in an obscene position. Executors take wooden products of an oblong, and not always anatomical shape, and simulate sexual penetration. They do it so roughly that the unfortunate woman experiences terrible pain and burning. Gradually, her tormentors bring her to the point of bleeding and confessing to all the sins of this world.

A separate example of cruelty and inhumanity is the mechanical “pear”. It is injected into the natural cavities of both men and women, which in itself causes terrible torment. Then the executioner turns the screw, and the “petals” open, tearing the soft tissue inside the person. After such torture, mercy would be to quickly kill the victim, since she will no longer be able to walk or adequately perceive reality.

The period in history, which we know as the Middle Ages, is rightfully considered one of the bloodiest and cruelest. For a thousand years, Europe was a place where ferocity and sophistication flourished, giving rise to a huge variety of methods of torture and execution. It must be said that in the Middle Ages, in order to get on the rack or the gallows, you did not need a compelling reason. Being rude to your neighbor? Is the ruler's name pronounced in an insufficiently reverent tone? That's it, they'll come for you soon.

And the minds of the Middle Ages were distinguished by amazing ingenuity; new methods of torture appeared incredibly often. In addition, execution for the contingent of that time was one of the reasons to laugh - public entertainment. Morality? No, such a word did not exist in those centuries. And to prove our statement clearly, we present to your attention the top 10 most horrific and sophisticated tortures of the Middle Ages.

The name speaks for itself. This weapon was used mainly against heretics before their actual burning. "Fork" was popular in Rome, England and Italy.

The design of this weapon was a double-sided fork with a collar attached to it. The end of each fork was topped with two spikes. An engraving was also required: “I renounce.”

The collar was fastened to the suspect’s neck, as a result of which two spikes rested closely on the person’s chest, and the other two on the chin. The victim's head was completely immobilized, and this, let's face it, is not the most comfortable position. It was very difficult to be in such a state for a long time; only death could end the torment of the unfortunate man.

9. Vise

Torture was used mainly to extract confessions from suspects quickly and without unnecessary hassle. Moreover, the executioners did not care whether they were sincere or were given in an insane desire to stop the “interrogation”.

The victim's fingers were placed in a special device and then gradually compressed. The peculiarity of this torture is that the time it took could go into evil infinity.

Analogue of a modern paper press. During the torture process, the unfortunate man's teeth crumbled first, then the jaw, followed by the bones of the skull. The madness did not end until, under pressure, the victim's brain began to come out through the ears.

7. Coffin of torture

The offender was placed in a coffin made of metal and left there for a set period of time, the duration of which varied depending on the crime committed. However, most often, the period of punishment ended with the death of the person.

There were always many people next to the prisoner who wanted to “accelerate” his departure to the next world. They threw stones, sticks and other heavy or sharp objects at the convict.

Yes, the one you've probably heard about. There were two main types:

• Vertical. The victim was suspended from the very ceiling with his joints turned out, the reason for which was the huge weights that were attached to his legs.
• Horizontal. The suspect's body was fixed on a rack, and then stretched with a special mechanism until the muscles and joints were torn.

5. Iron Maiden

The appearance is similar to a sarcophagus in the shape of a female figure. The insides consisted of a large number of blades and spikes. The peculiarity of their arrangement was that when a person was placed in a sarcophagus, and his body was pierced by spikes, not one of the important organs was affected. And this led to the fact that the agony of the convicted person constantly lasted unbearably long and was accompanied by terrible torment.

The first time this instrument of torture was used was in 1515, and the first prisoner died within three days.

Contemporaries of this weapon considered it quite loyal, because it did not break bones or tear ligaments. A good reason, isn't it? But the secret of this torture lay elsewhere.

First of all, the condemned person was lifted on ropes and then seated on the “cradle”. The pain was so severe that the unfortunate people often lost consciousness. However, this oversight was immediately corrected and re-implanted. Using a rope, the executioner regulated the pressure of the tip, and he also impaled the victim - either slowly or with sharp jerks.

3. Torture by rats

A very cruel, sophisticated and terrible execution was popular among the inhabitants of Ancient China. The prisoner, completely naked, was placed on the table, while being tightly tied. Then, a cage with hungry huge rats was placed on his stomach. Due to the special design of the cage, the bottom could be opened easily, which they did, but hot coals were thrown onto its upper part. They disturbed the rats, who immediately scattered around the cage in search of a way out. But the only way out was the stomach of the condemned man, which the rodents took advantage of.

2. Iron Bull

This torture was invented by the Greeks. A huge shape in the shape of a bull was cast from metal (most often brass), with a small door on the side. The person was placed inside the mold and a fire was lit under it. The “bull” was heated to such a state that the brass turned yellow and the prisoner slowly roasted.

The weapon was designed in such a way that the screams, screams and pleas of the prisoner outside were like the roar of an angry animal.

It was invented by the cunning Chinese. The method is famous throughout the world, but its glory is bitter and sad. Scientists do not exclude the fact that this method is just a legend, because practically no significant evidence has been found of the use of this kind of torture.

Bamboo is known as a fast growing plant. Some of its species, growing, in particular, in China, can grow a whole meter in a day. This property became the main principle of bamboo torture.

The sprouts of this plant were sharpened with a knife, so that the result was analogous to spears. The victim was suspended parallel to the ground, above beds of young and sharp bamboo. Its sprouts pierced the skin of the unfortunate man and grew straight through his abdominal cavity, which is why death became as painful as possible.

This article outlined only ten of the most terrible tortures of that time. In fact, there were not even dozens, or hundreds, but thousands of different types. People then were merciless towards their own kind, whether it was a neighbor, a friend or even a relative - no one was interested. Troubled, dangerous times have left their mark on everyone.