Medieval Persuasions

Shalee Drake

#1 The Brazen Bull:

The Brazen Bull was used primarily by the Greeks and omans to dis!oura"e the portion o# the population that was in poverty to not !ommit !rimes$ %hen a vi!tim is pla!ed inside the brazen bull& he or she is slowly burned to death$ This devi!e "radually be!ame more sophisti!ated until the Greek invented a !omple' system o# tubes in order to make the vi!tim(s s!reams sound like an in#uriated o'$

#) Saw Torture:
The Saw was widely used throu"hout the Spanish *n+uisition& mainly be!ause the tools re+uired were #ound in most houses and no !omple' devi!es were re+uired$ *t was a !heap way to torture and kill a vi!tim who was o#ten a!!used o# wit!hery& adultery& murder& blasphemy or even the#t$ The vi!tim was tied to an inverted position$ This had several ,bene#its,: #irst& it assured su##i!ient blood diverted to the brain& se!ond& it slowed down the loss o# blood and third& it humiliated the vi!tim$ Dependin" on the vi!tim and torturer& this torture !ould last several hours$ %hen a !on#ession was re+uired& the vi!tim was #re+uently #or!ed to wat!h someone else be sub-e!t to this method$ *# he didn(t !on#ess& he(d be slowly !ut in hal#$

#. /layin":

/layin" is a very old torture method that was used thousands o# years a"o in the Middle 0ast& 1#ri!a and even 1meri!a$ Durin" the Middle 1"es& it was #re+uently used to torture and e'e!ute !riminals& !aptured soldiers and wit!hes$

#2 %heel Torture:
The %heel ori"inated in Gree!e and +ui!kly spread to Germany& /ran!e& ussia& 0n"land and Sweden$ The devi!e !onsists o# a lar"e wooden wheel with many spokes$ The vi!tim(s limbs were tied to the spokes and the wheel itsel# was slowly revolved$ Throu"h the openin"s between the spokes& the torturer usually hit the vi!tim with an iron hammer that !ould easily break the vi!tim(s bones$ 3n!e his bones were broken& he was le#t on the wheel to die& sometimes pla!ed on a tall pole so the birds !ould #eed #rom the still4livin" human$

#5 The a!k:
The ra!k is !ommonly !onsidered the most pain#ul #orm o# medieval torture$ *t was a wooden #rame usually above "round with two ropes #i'ed to the bottom and another two tied to a handle in the top$ The torturer turned the handle !ausin" the ropes to pull the vi!tim(s arms$ 0ventually& the vi!tim(s bones were dislo!ated with a loud !ra!k$ *# the torturer kept turnin" the handles& some o# the limbs were torn apart& usually the arms$

#6 Burned at the Stake:

Bein" burned at the stake was usually the last stop #or torture vi!tims& be!ause this #orm o# torture was invariably #atal$ *t usually took about a hal# an hour be#ore the vi!tim lost !ons!iousness$ Sin!e the vi!tims had usually been previously tortured with the ra!k or some other method& the pain must have been unima"inable$ The torturers o# the *n+uisition in the 7etherlands developed a parti!ularly !ruel twist: Prior to bein" tied to the stake& the vi!tim(s ton"ue would be sandwi!hed between two hot iron plates$ The s!or!hed and swollen ton"ue would only allow stran"e& mu##led s!reams o# pain on!e the burnin" be"an& whi!h supposedly added a "reat deal to the audien!e(s entertainment$

#8 *ron Maiden:
1n upri"ht sar!opha"us with spikes on the inner sur#a!es$ Double doors open on the #ront& allowin" entran!e #or the vi!tim$ *n one e'ample& ei"ht spikes protruded #rom one door& 1. #rom the other$ 3n!e the vi!tim was inside& the doors were !losed$ There& the strate"i!ally pla!ed spikes would pier!e several vital or"ans$ 9owever& they were relatively short spikes& so the wounds wouldn(t be instantly #atal$ *nstead& the vi!tim would lin"er and bleed to death over several hours$ To add to the ab-e!t horror o# it all& two spikes were positioned spe!i#i!ally to penetrate the eyes$

#: %ater Torture:

Dunkin" is a #orm o# punishment that was mainly reserved #or supposed wit!hes$ The vi!tim was tied to a !hair whi!h was elevated or lowered by the torturer$ *# he noti!ed that the vi!tim was "oin" to pass out& he elevated the !hair$ %hen he needed in#ormation and the vi!tim was unwillin" to !ooperate& he lowered it$ This method was widely used durin" the Spanish *n+uisition and in 0n"land and /ran!e$ The vi!tim was usually intermittently submer"ed #or many hours until he or she revealed in#ormation or death o!!urred$ %hile wit!hes were !ommonly tortured usin" this method& thieves and murderers !ould be sub-e!t to it in order to e'tra!t a !on#ession$

#; 9ead <rusher:
The head !rusher was widely used durin" most o# the Middle 1"es& espe!ially the *n+uisition$ %ith the !hin pla!ed over the bottom bar and the head under the upper !ap& the torturer slowly turned the s!rew pressin" the bar a"ainst the !ap$ This resulted in the head bein" slowly !ompressed$ /irst the teeth are shattered into the -aw= then the vi!tim slowly died with a"onizin" pain& but not be#ore his eyes were s+ueezed #rom his so!kets$

#1> The Pi!+uet:

The pi!+uet was mostly used in the military as a way to maintain dis!ipline throu"hout the army$ The pi!+uet didn(t re+uire any sophisti!ated tools as all that was needed was pla!in" a stake in the "round and tyin" the vi!tim(s thumb #ar above his head$ %hen the vi!tim #elt that his thumb was about to dislo!ate& he would put his wei"ht on the stake$ 3n the other hand& pla!in" too mu!h wei"ht on the stake would lead to mu!h pain$ 1lthou"h this torture method was never meant to end in death& some dra!onian !ommanders ordered their vi!tims to be sub-e!t to this torture #or up to two days 4 sometimes in!urrin" death$