Unfortunate and widely known is the human capacity to inflict pain on others to get information, get confessions or for the simple pleasure of seeing them suffer. Politics, religion, and “national security” have demanded refined cruel torture systems for these purposes, as well as to punish those who transgress laws and do not repent of it. Already in Supercurioso we talked to you in an opportunity of the worst punishments in history. We even advance in specificity, to tell you about the horrific Chinese torture. But, to our shame as a species, this topic seems to give even more to talk about. Next we will present you the most horrible ancient torture instruments. Of course, we warn you: this article is not suitable for sensitive people.
The 10 Worst Ancient Torture Instruments
1. The Fork of the Heretic
We begin this journey through the cruelest ancient instruments of torture, with the heretic’s fork. As you may have guessed from the name, this fork was used to punish heresy, of course, during the Inquisition (Spanish and Protestant). It consists of a metal bar finished in two very sharp points, at both ends, in the shape of a fork. It was tied with a strap around the neck, leaving the upper part below the chin and the lower part on the sternum bone, thus forcing the “heretic” to keep his neck stretched out and his head erect.
Any movement caused both ends to sink into the flesh, making it a perfect instrument for torture, for it did not cause death but frightful physical suffering. The victims, who could barely mutter, often died of fatigue and lack of sleep, unable to move their heads at all. And also with minimal blood loss, which also ensured cleanliness.
2. The Whip
The next of the ancient torture instruments sounds very familiar to us, especially because of the paraphilias associated with sadomasochism. this artifact It has accompanied torture throughout history and in different latitudes: Rome, during the American Secession War and to this day, in Islamic and Asian countries. There are two types of whip: the “whip whipping”, a flexible stick with a handle, and the traditional one, which consisted of long fibers usually made of leather. There are also refined variations: whips with braided leather, the “cat with nine tails”, that is, with multiple strings, and often metals and sharp objects were added to the end of them to inflict even more damage.
The whip can break the sound barrier: when doing the classic whip movement, the strings travel at more than 1,234 km/h, which produces the typical crack, which is nothing more than a small sonic explosion. This truly terrifying instrument was used as punishment (it still is), and the traces could not be more horrible: loss of eyes, pieces of flesh torn off, and significant blood loss, enough to send the victim into hypovolemic shock.
3. The Vile Club
Very common in Spain and used in this country for the last time in 1975, the garrote vile is the next among the ancient instruments of torture. It was truly sinister: you were seated on a kind of seat with your back against a metal bar. They tied your neck with a leather strap, attached to a crank at the back. Turning her around she would slowly crush her neck, suffocating the person to death. There are variations that included a kind of blade that penetrated the spine as the wheel turned. Death was quick and silent. This is how many people died in Spain, including Marianita Pineda.
4. The scolding bridle
Another of the most terrible ancient torture instruments is the scolding bridle. It was very popular in England and Scotland during the 16th century to punish women who repeatedly gossiped and cursed. It was also used as a punishment for witches. It was an iron cage that covered the head and contained a small steel plate that was inserted into the woman’s mouth and literally “subdued” the treacherous tongue.; most of these small artifacts grew slowly over time, about a half to an inch. It had small and larger spikes that pierced the tongue and caused the victims to bleed profusely.
Some of these plates had a small additional gag at the end, so they also caused throat irritation. But one of the most terrible uses was public humiliation, since the cage also had a leash by which they were walked through the streets and everyone saw and knew what he had done. Many times this was not enough, and the women were stoned and beaten by the people.
5. The Gut Crank
When the terrible intestinal crank was usedthe victim was tied to a table where an abdominal incision was made large enough for the executioner’s hand to fit inside. The small intestine was then separated from the fundus of the stomach and attached to a hook attached to a crank. As the crank was turned, the intestine protruded inch by inch, and both the victim and others present at the torture could see the entrails coiling around the axis of the crank.
Without a doubt, one of the most Dantesque and abominable ancient torture instruments. It was used to extract information from criminals, but the process was so painful that people usually died immediately, between extremely painful spasms and a great loss of blood.
6. The Headcrusher
The next of the ancient torture instruments does not require much introduction, and its name alone announces the horror it causes. The condemned to be a victim of this frightful device, had to put the chin on the base of it. His head was then embedded in the skullcap. Then the executioner turned the screws. The first thing was that the victim’s jaw and teeth were broken. If you kept squeezing, the skull would be shattered, and pieces of the brain protruded through the eye sockets.
7. The Iron Maiden
Another instrument of pain and terror in ancient times was the iron maiden, originally from Germany and also used by the Inquisition. It was a kind of vertical coffin with a sinister female face. In it, the victims were locked up for long hours or days, even until death. The most terrible thing about this punishment was that the coffin was covered inside by dozens of pointed iron nails, They were making painful wounds all over the victim’s body.
8. The rack
And among the ancient instruments of torture, the rack is among the best known and most painful. It was a wooden board, to which the unfortunate condemned man was tied at all four extremities. By means of a pulley, his whole body was stretched until all his limbs were dislocated, causing simply unimaginable pain.
9. The Shattering Wheels
The tearing wheels were one of the most excessive instruments to torture. The person who was sentenced to suffer this torture, was lying naked on the ground. With the same wheel, his hips, shoulders and all the joints were broken. After that, he was tied to the wheel, which was placed on a post. He fed her, so that death would take longer to come. Once the victim died, the body was left at the mercy of carrion birds.
10. The Cradle of Judas
And we close this gloomy journey through the worst ancient torture instruments, with the Cradle of Judas. In this method, The condemned man was suspended from the waist with an iron clamp and hung just above a pointed pyramid supported by a tripod. If at any time he let himself be overcome by fatigue and fell asleep or relaxed his body, this sharp point was stuck into his genitals. And if the long-awaited confession was not obtained from him, it was the same executioners who lowered his body, to give him pain.
And you, Did you know about these hideous ancient torture instruments? Without a doubt, they are a terrible proof of the evil that can live in the hearts of human beings.. It is impressive the number of devices made to produce the greatest damage in others. If this topic has caught your attention and you want to learn more, read the article in which we tell you about the horrible torture of the Falaris bull.