20 Ancient Torture Methods That Would Make Anyone Confess - Not A Myth
These torture methods were used in the Middle Ages or early modern period to cause pain, injury, and sometimes death, usually to extract information or a confession from criminals or prisoners, also as punishment for crimes. Ancient torture devices have a way of striking fear into any heart. In ancient times Kings, Queens and Priest all had a hand in torturing those they believed were criminals, heretics, witches and traitors.
Are you strong enough to stomach these ancient torture devices that would make anyone confess?
1. Heretics Fork
The heretics fork was invented during the Spanish inquisition. The fork would have two pointed edges on each end and wold be attached to a leather strap that would go around the victim's neck. One pointed end went just underneath the victim's chin while the other would be pointed down into the person's sternum. Even the slightest movement of the jaw would result in unbelievable anguish.
2. The Rack
Used during the middle ages, The Rack was a wooden bed with a handle and four ropes, two for tying the legs and two other for the arms. The torturer turned the handle causing the ropes to pull the victim's arms. Eventually, the victim's bones were dislocated with a loud crack, caused by snapping cartilage, ligaments or bones. If the torturer kept turning the handles the limbs would eventually be torn off.
3. Judas Cradle
The Judas cradle was a tall thin stool shaped device with a metal or wooden pyramid on top. The victim would be stripped, bound with ropes, and suspended above the device. They would then be lowered, usually very slowly, on to the device, making the pyramid enter the vagina or anus. The amount of pain the device inflicted could be changed in several ways. The victim could be rocked, they could be dropped repeatedly onto the device, one leg could be lifted, olive oil could be spread on the pyramid, or brass weights could be hung from the victim's legs.
Sometimes to prolong torture the victim would be suspended above the
device overnight and torture would continue the next morning.
4. Scold's Bridle
To punish their wives for gossiping, husband in the middle ages would use the Scold's Bridal. It involves strips of iron attached to a muzzle that was placed around the woman's head to keep her quiet and humiliate her. Often the victim would brought to town to show everyone that she'd been gossiping.
5. Dunking
This was a form of punishment that was mainly reserved for supposed witches. The victim was tied to a chair which was elevated by ropes above a pond or vat of water. The victim was then lowered into the water until completely submerged. The chair was raised if the victim was about to pass out, or to give the victim a chance to confess.
Often, some form of plug or more simply, a piece of fruit, was placed in the victims mouth and nose beforehand, so they couldn't get a good breath before being dunked.
6. Chair of Torture
A terrifying Medieval torture device, the iron chair invoked about as much fear looking at it as being subjected to it. Covered in hundred of sharp spikes, the victim would be forced to sit on it. They'd than been strapped down and the torturers would light a fire underneath the chair to roast the victim.
7. Boiling
A large cauldron was filled with water, oil, tar, tallow or molten lead. The liquid was then boiled. Sometimes the victim would be placed in the cauldron before it was boiled so as to be cooked slowly. Or they would be placed, usually head first, into the already boiling liquid.
This was more frequently a way to execute a prisoner rather than to extract a confession.
8. Brown Rats
A cheap and effective way to torture someone was with the use of rats. There were many variants, but the most common was to force a rat through a victim's body (usually the intestines) as a way to escape. This was done as follows:
- The victim was completely restrained and tied to the ground or a bed.
- The victim would then have many slits cut in their stomach.
- Then they would place rats and trap them with a bowl on the victim's stomach, then place hot coal on top of the bowl and the rats would get hot, a few seconds would go by and they will go into your stomach.
9. The Wooden Horse
The Wooden Horse, also known as the Spanish Horse, was used during the Spanish inquisition. The victim first be stripped naked and their arms and legs would be tied to the horse as they sat on it. With their feet not touching the ground to take off any pressure, it would be extremely painful and ended usually in the rupturing of the perineum and extensive blood loss.
10. Instep borer
The instep borer was a putative medieval German instrument of torture that externally resembled an iron boot. It was hinged to permit the free insertion and removal of the bare foot. A crank projected from a housing over the instep, which concealed a long, thick, serrated iron blade, grooved so as to inflict maximum damage and promote liberal blood flow.
Turning the crank slowly advanced the blade into the boot, punching a hole through the center of the instep.
11. The Scavenger's Daughter
Invented by British man name Skevington, the Scavenger's Daughter was a popular torture method during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was a hoop of iron with a hinge in the middle. The victim would be forced to crouch on one half of the loop while the other was placed over his back. The hinge would be slowly tightened, crushing the victim's back and breaking breast bones and ribs.
12. Tickle Torture
Tickle torture is the use of tickling to abuse, dominate, harass, humiliate, or interrogate an individual. While laughter is popularly thought of as a pleasure response, in tickle torture, the one being tickled may laugh despite whether or not they find the experience pleasant. In a tickling situation, laughter can indicate a panic reflex rather than a pleasure response.
13. Pear of Anguish
Of the many torture devices used in ancient times, the Pear of Anguish is one of the
worst. A metal device with four metallic leaves, it would be inserted into the vagina, throat or anus depending on the crime committed. When a key was turned, the leaves would open, causing critical and massive internal damage. It would rarely kill the victim, however, and more torture would continue.
14. Breast Ripper
In ancient times, women would be subject to particularly cruel torture. The Breast Ripper is definitely one of those sad and tragic cases. As the name implies, one part of the device would be a claw that sunk into the woman's breast. They were than tied to a wall and the claw would be ripped away, tearing their breast to shreds. If the woman did not die, she would be horribly disfigured for the rest of her life.
15. Iron Maiden
One of the most well-known and infamous torture devices, the Iron Maiden is a large iron cabinet with a hinged front and spike-covered interior, sufficiently tall to enclose a human being. Once the victim went inside, the door would be closed, piercing vital organs. However, the victim wouldn't die instantly and would likely be alive, bleeding to death. Originally, people thought it was a fictional device, but they found real one in Nuremberg, Germany in the 1800s.
16. Head Crusher
The Head Crusher pretty much describe this torture device perfectly. The victim would have their chin placed on a metal bar as cap would be tightened to the top of their head. The torturer would twist the crank, crushing the head. First, the teeth wold break, then the jaw, and eventually the eyes would pop out of their sockets. If they wouldn't die and were released, they wold obviously suffer irreversible brain damage.
17. Brazen Bull
The ancient bull is an old torture device invented in Ancient Greece, by Perillos. The torture device is bronze statue of a bull. The victims would have their tongues cut out and their hands tied before being placed inside the bronze bull. A fire would be lit underneath the bull to roast the victim inside while people listened. Their horrifying screaming resembled the sound a bull might make.
Legend has it that when Perillos presented the device to tyrant Phalaris of Agrigentum rather than being rewarded for his creativity, Phalaris made Perillos be the first to go inside.
18. Death by Sawing
The term "death by sawing" indicates the act of sawing a living person in half, either sagittally (usually midsagittally), or transversely. Death by sawing was a method of execution reportedly used in different parts of the world. Sawing people in half with a large two person was a relatively cheap and effective way to punish and torture someone.
19. Pitchcapping
Pitchcapping was a form of torture used by the British military against suspected Irish rebels during the period of the 1798 rebellion. The process involved pouring hot pitch, or tar (mainly used at the time for lighting purposes), into a conical shaped paper "cap", which was forced onto a bound suspect's head, allowed to cool, then rapidly removed, taking with it a portion of the suspect's skin and tissue.
20. Strappado
The strappado, also known as corda, is a form of torture wherein the victim's hands are tied behind his or her back and suspended by a rope attached to the wrists, typically resulting in dislocated shoulders.
Weights may be added to the body to intensify the effect and increase the pain.
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**Warning: While these are historical accounts, some younger viewers may find this content upsetting. For our younger viewers we recommend this post: 32 Awesome Movie Facts You Probably Didn't Know
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