The most terrible stories of the 14th century. Instrument of torture "cat's paw". Pear: rips holes, displaces jawbones

With the development of civilization human life acquired value regardless of social status and wealth. It is all the more terrible to read about the black pages of history, when the law did not just deprive a person of life, but turned the execution into a spectacle for the amusement of ordinary people. In other cases, the execution could be of a ritual or instructive nature. Unfortunately, there are similar episodes in modern history. We have compiled a list of the most brutal executions ever practiced by humans.

Executions of the Ancient World

Skafism

The word "skafism" is derived from the ancient Greek word "trough", "boat", and the method itself went down in history thanks to Plutarch, who described the execution of the Greek ruler Mithridates at the behest of Artaxerxes, the king of the ancient Persians.

First, a person was stripped naked and tied inside two dugout boats in such a way that the head, arms and legs remained outside, which were thickly smeared with honey. The victim was then forcibly fed a mixture of milk and honey to induce diarrhea. After that, the boat was lowered into stagnant water - a pond or lake. Lured by the smell of honey and sewage, the insects clung to the human body, slowly devoured the flesh and laid their larvae in the formed gangrenous ulcers. The victim remained alive for up to two weeks. Death came from three factors: infection, exhaustion and dehydration.

Execution by impalement was invented in Assyria (modern Iraq). In this way, residents of rebellious cities and women who had an abortion were punished - then this procedure was considered infanticide.

The execution was carried out in two ways. In one version, the convict was pierced in the chest with a stake, in the other, the tip of the stake passed through the body through the anus. Tormented people were often depicted in bas-reliefs as an edification. Later, this execution began to be used by the peoples of the Middle East and the Mediterranean, as well as by the Slavic peoples and some European ones.

Execution by elephants

This method was used mainly in India and Sri Lanka. Indian elephants lend themselves well to training, which was used by the rulers of Southeast Asia.

There were many ways to kill a person with an elephant. For example, armor with sharp spears was put on the tusks, with which the elephant pierced the criminal and then, still alive, tore it apart. But most often, elephants were trained to press down the convict with their foot and alternately tear off the limbs with their trunk. In India, a guilty person was often simply thrown at the feet of an angry animal. For reference, an Indian elephant weighs about 5 tons.

Tradition to the beasts

Behind the beautiful phrase "Damnatio ad bestias" lies the painful death of thousands of ancient Romans, especially among the early Christians. Although, of course, this method was invented long before the Romans. Usually lions were used for execution, less popular were bears, panthers, leopards and buffaloes.

There were two types of punishment. Often a person sentenced to death was tied to a post in the middle of a gladiatorial arena and wild animals were lowered onto it. There were also variations: they threw it to a cage to a hungry animal or tied it to its back. In another case, the unfortunate was forced to fight against the beast. From the weapons they had a simple spear, and from the "armor" - a tunic. In both cases, many spectators gathered for the execution.

death on the cross

The crucifixion was invented by the Phoenicians, an ancient people of seafarers who lived in the Mediterranean. Later, this method was adopted by the Carthaginians, and then by the Romans. The Israelites and Romans considered death on the cross to be the most shameful, because this was how hardened criminals, slaves and traitors were executed.

Before crucifixion, a person was undressed, leaving only a loincloth. He was beaten with leather whips or freshly cut rods, after which he was forced to carry a cross weighing about 50 kilograms to the place of crucifixion. Having dug a cross into the ground near the road outside the city or on a hill, a person was lifted with ropes and nailed to a horizontal bar. Sometimes the convict's legs were crushed with an iron rod beforehand. Death came from exhaustion, dehydration or pain shock.

After the prohibition of Christianity in feudal Japan in the 17th century. crucifixion was used against visiting missionaries and Japanese Christians. The scene of execution on the cross is present in Martin Scorsese's drama Silence, which tells about this period.

Bamboo execution

The ancient Chinese were champions of sophisticated torture and execution. One of the most exotic methods of killing is the stretching of the culprit over the growing shoots of young bamboo. Through human body sprouts made their way for several days, causing incredible suffering to the executed.

ling chi

"Ling-chi" is translated into Russian as "bites of the sea pike." There was another name - "death by a thousand cuts." This method was used during the reign of the Qing Dynasty, and high-ranking officials convicted of corruption were executed in this way. Every year, 15-20 people were recruited.

The essence of "ling-chi" is the gradual cutting off of small parts from the body. For example, after cutting off one phalanx of the finger, the executioner cauterized the wound and then proceeded to the next one. How many pieces to cut off from the body, the court determined. The most popular verdict was cutting into 24 pieces, and the most notorious criminals were sentenced to 3,000 cuts. In such cases, the victim was given opium to drink: so she did not lose consciousness, but the pain made its way even through the veil of drug intoxication.

Sometimes, as a sign of special mercy, the ruler could order the executioner to first kill the condemned with one blow and torture the corpse already. This method of execution was practiced for 900 years and was banned in 1905.

Executions of the Middle Ages

blood eagle

Historians question the existence of the Blood Eagle execution, but it is mentioned in Scandinavian folklore. This method was used by the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries in the early Middle Ages.

The harsh Vikings killed their enemies as painfully and symbolically as possible. The man's hands were tied and laid on his stomach on a stump. The skin on the back was carefully cut with a sharp blade, then the ribs were pryed with an ax, breaking them out in a shape resembling eagle wings. After that, the lungs were removed from the still living victim and hung on the ribs.

This execution is shown twice in the Vikings series with Travis Fimmel (in episode 7 of season 2 and episode 18 of season 4), although the audience noted the contradictions between the serial execution and the one described in the Elder Edda folklore.

"Bloody Eagle" in the series "Vikings"

Tearing by trees

Such an execution was widespread in many regions of the world, including in Rus' in the pre-Christian period. The victim was tied by the legs to two inclined trees, which were then abruptly released. One of the legends says that Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans in 945 - because he wanted to collect tribute from them twice.

Quartering

The method was used as medieval Europe. Each limb was tied to horses - the animals tore the sentenced into 4 parts. In Rus', they also practiced quartering, but this word meant a completely different execution - the executioner alternately chopped off his legs with an ax, then his hands, and then his head.

wheeling

Wheeling as a form of the death penalty was widely used in France and Germany during the Middle Ages. In Russia, this type of execution is also known at a later time - from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The essence of the punishment was that at first the guilty person was tied to the wheel, facing the sky, fixing his arms and legs on the knitting needles. After that, his limbs were broken and in this form they were left to die in the sun.

Flaying

Flaying, or skinning, was invented in Assyria, then passed to Persia and spread throughout to the ancient world. In the Middle Ages, the Inquisition improved this type of execution - with the help of a device called the "Spanish tickler", a person's skin was torn into small pieces, which were not difficult to tear off.

Welded alive

This execution was also invented in antiquity and received a second wind in the Middle Ages. So they executed mostly counterfeiters. A person convicted of counterfeiting money was thrown into a cauldron of boiling water, tar or oil. This variety was quite humane - the offender quickly died from pain shock. More sophisticated executioners put the condemned man in a cauldron with cold water, which was heated gradually, or slowly lowered into boiling water, starting with the feet. The welded muscles of the legs were moving away from the bones, and the man was still alive.
This execution is also practiced by the extremists of the East. According to Saddam Hussein's former bodyguard, he witnessed an acid execution: first, the victim's legs were lowered into a pool filled with caustic substance, and then they were thrown entirely. And in 2016, ISIS militants dissolved 25 people in a cauldron of acid.

cement boots

This method is well known to many of our gangster movie readers. Indeed, they killed their enemies and traitors with such a cruel method during the mafia wars in Chicago. The victim was tied to a chair, then a basin filled with liquid cement was placed under his feet. And when it froze, the person was taken to the nearest reservoir and thrown off the boat. Cement boots instantly dragged him to the bottom to feed the fish.

Flights of death

In 1976, General Jorge Videla came to power in Argentina. He led the country for only 5 years, but remained in history as one of the most terrible dictators of our time. Among other atrocities of Videla are the so-called "death flights".

A person who opposed the tyrant's regime was drugged with barbiturates and unconsciously carried on board the plane, then thrown down - certainly into the water.

We also invite you to read about the most mysterious deaths in history.
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IN modern world there is no place for torture, it is no longer resorted to in the justice system in order to punish someone or get a confession to their deed. Now only the Museum of Torture can illustrate how the torture of the Inquisition took place.

Today, the most terrible torture is the electric chair, and what happened before ... it’s scary to imagine

The tortures were so cruel that not everyone has the willpower to look at their dummies, which the Museum of Torture provides so that everyone can see the face of justice in the Middle Ages.

It is difficult to determine the most terrible torture, since each of them was quite painful and cruel, but you can still single out the 20 most horrific.

Video about the most terrible torture

"Sharp Pear"

Let's start with torture, which can rightfully be included in the top twenty of the most inhuman abuse of people. The torture of the Inquisition included this method of punishing sinful people. In the Middle Ages, resorting to this cruel form of torture, the church punished sinners who were revealed to be in love with their own sex, for example, a woman with a woman or a man with a man. Such a relationship was considered blasphemy and a desecration of the church of God, so these people were in for a terrible punishment.

A tool for terrible torture - "Sharp Pear"

Instruments of torture of this type had a pear-like appearance. Accused female blasphemers were placed in the vagina, and male sinners in the anus or mouth. After the instrument was introduced into the body of the victim, the executioner began the second stage of torture, which consisted in making the person suffer terribly after gradually, when the screw was unscrewed, the sharp leaves of the pear opened inside the flesh. Opening, the pear tore the internal organs of a woman or a man to pieces. The lethal outcome came from the fact that the victim lost a large amount of blood, or from the deformation of the internal organs formed during the opening of the deadly killer pear.

The ancient torture of the world includes the punishment of the guilty with the help of rats

This is one of the most cruel torture, which was invented in China, and was especially popular among the Inquisition in the 16th century. The victim suffered terrible pain. Rats were the main instrument of torture. The person was placed on the table large sizes, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe womb, a rather heavy cage was placed, stuffed with rats, which must have been hungry. Of course, this is far from the end: then the bottom of the cage was removed, after which the rats ended up on the victim’s stomach, at the same time hot coals were laid out on top of the cage, the rats got scared from the heat and, trying to escape from the cage, gnawed through the belly of a person, so escaping way. in terrible agony.

metal torture

cat claw

The sinner was gradually and slowly torn out in pieces of skin, flesh and ribs with an iron hook, passing along the back.

Grim Rack

This instrument of torture is known in several forms: horizontal and vertical. If the victim was used vertical version, then the sinner was hooked under the ceiling, while twisting the joints, and weight was constantly added to the legs, stretching the body as much as possible. The use of the horizontal version of the rack ensured the rupture of the muscles and joints of the convict.

This is a kind of crushing machine for killing the convict. The principle of operation of the cranial press was to gradually compress the skull of the victim, this press crumbled the teeth, jaw, cranial bones of a person until the brain fell out of the sinner's ears.

The very name of the weapon is quite insidious, but not only the name excites. This inquisitorial tool did not break or tear anything on the body of the victim. With the help of a rope, the sinner was lifted up and seated on a “cradle”, the top of which was in the shape of a triangle and quite sharp. This top was seated in such a way that the sharp edge went well into the anus or vagina of the victim. Sinners fainted from pain, they were brought back to consciousness and continued to be tortured.

The shape of this tool resembles a female figure - it is a sarcophagus, inside of which is empty, but not without spikes and many blades, the location of which is provided in such a way that they do not touch the vital parts of the body of the accused, while cutting other parts. The sinner died in agony for several days.

Thus, sinners, thieves and other people who were accused of this or that evil deed against the church, the king, and so on, suffered their fate. The condemned experienced the most terrible torments, being in the hands of a cruel executioner.

It’s good that today it’s only history and tools for torture are not used.

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

Interrogation chair.
The interrogation chair was used in Central Europe. In Nuremberg and Fegensburg, until 1846, preliminary investigations were regularly conducted with its use. A naked prisoner was seated on a chair in such a position that at the slightest movement, thorns pierced his skin. Usually the torture lasted several hours, and the executioners often increased the agony of the agonizing victim by piercing her limbs, using tongs or other instruments of torture. These chairs were various forms and size, 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 made under the seat, roasting the buttocks. The famous poisoner La Voisin was tortured on such a chair during the famous Case of Poisoning 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 gun was operated by two men who were sawing the condemned man suspended upside down with his legs tied to two supports. The position itself, which causes blood flow to the brain, forced the victim to experience unheard of torment for a long time. This tool was used as a punishment for various crimes, but it was especially used against homosexuals and witches. It seems to us that this remedy was widely used by the French judges in relation to witches who became pregnant from the "devil of nightmares" or even from Satan himself.

Throne.
This instrument was created as a chair-shaped pillory, and sarcastically named the Throne. The victim was placed upside down, and her legs were strengthened with wooden blocks. Such torture was popular among judges who wanted to follow the letter of the law. In fact,
the legislation governing the use of torture allowed the Throne to be used only once during an interrogation. But most of the judges circumvented this rule by simply calling the next session a continuation of the same first one. The use of the Throne 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 body of the victim, it was very suitable for a long
use. It should be noted that simultaneously with this torture, the prisoners were also “used” with water and a red-hot iron.

Janitor's daughter or Stork.
The use of the term "stork" is attributed to the Roman Court of the Most Holy Inquisition in the period from the second half of the XVI V. until around 1650. The same name was given to this instrument of torture by L.A. Muratori in his Italian Chronicles (1749). The origin of the even stranger name "Janitor's Daughter" is unknown, but it is given by analogy with the name of an identical fixture in the Tower of London. Whatever the origin of the name, this weapon is a great example of the vast variety of enforcement systems that were used during the Inquisition.
The position of the victim was carefully considered. Within a few minutes, this position of the body led to severe muscle spasm in the abdomen and anus. Further, the spasm began to spread to the chest, neck, arms and legs, becoming more and more painful, especially at the site of the initial onset of the spasm. After some time, attached to the Stork, he went 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 red-hot iron and other methods. The iron fetters cut into the victim's flesh and caused gangrene and sometimes death.

shameful mask

Witch chair.

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

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Stake ordinary

The executioner, with the help of a rope, could regulate the pressure force of the point, could lower the victim slowly or jerkily. Having completely let go of the rope, the victim with all his weight was planted 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 coccyx. In such a terrible way, the Inquisition sought recognition from heretics and witches. To increase pressure, a load was sometimes tied to the legs and arms of the victim. In our time, this is how they are tortured in some countries of Latin America. For a change, an electric current is connected to the iron belt around 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 remedy to get recognition. Often they also used a brazier. The victim was tied to the bars and then "roasted" until they received sincere repentance and confession, which led to the discovery of new criminals. And life went on.

Water torture.
In order to best perform the procedure of this torture, the accused was placed on one of the varieties of the rack or on a special large table with a rising middle part. After the victim's hands and feet were tied to the edges of the table, the executioner went to work in one of several ways. One of these methods was that the victim was forced to swallow a large amount of water with a funnel, then beaten on the inflated and arched stomach. Another form involved placing a rag tube down the victim's throat, through which water was slowly poured in, causing the victim to bloat and suffocate. If that wasn't enough, the tube was pulled out, causing internal damage, and then reinserted, and the process repeated. Sometimes cold water torture was used. In this case, the accused lay naked on the table for hours under a jet of icy water. It is interesting to note that this kind of torture was regarded as light, and confessions obtained in this way were accepted by the court as voluntary and given to the defendants without the use of torture.

Nuremberg Maiden.
The idea to mechanize torture was born in Germany and nothing can be done about the fact that the Nuremberg maiden has such an origin. She got her name because of her resemblance to a Bavarian girl, and also because her prototype was created and first used in the secret court dungeon in Nuremberg. The accused was placed in a sarcophagus, where the body of the unfortunate person was pierced with sharp spikes, located so that none of the vital organs was hurt, and the agony lasted quite a long time. The first case of trial using the "Virgin" is dated 1515. It was described in detail by Gustav Freytag in his book "bilder aus der deutschen vergangenheit". The punishment befell the perpetrator of the forgery, who suffered for three days inside the sarcophagus.

public torture

The pillory has been a widespread method of punishment at all times and in every social system. The convict was placed at the pillory for a certain time, from several hours to several days. The bad weather that fell during the period of punishment aggravated the situation of the victim and increased the torment, which was probably considered as "divine retribution" . On the other hand, those chained to the pillory were completely defenseless before the "court of the people." Anyone could insult them with a word or action, spit at them or throw a stone - such treatment, which could be caused by popular indignation or personal enmity, sometimes led to injury or even death of the convict.

chastity belt

Male chastity belt

Collar with handcuffs

iron sneaker

This device was developed in Austria at the end of the 17th century and looks like the comfortable house slippers of our time. With the help of a screw, the size was adjusted in accordance with the measure of punishment. The guilty person was obliged to walk the streets of the city with a bell, so that people would know that a public punishment was being carried out. This saved the strength of the executioners, since the "slippers" themselves provided torture. Just imagine what it's like to walk around in slippers that are three sizes too small for you.

Gossip girl paperclip

Hardened tongs and scissors

People often dream of visiting the past. But history buffs should pay attention to the fact that not everything is as romantic as it might seem. The past was a brutal, cruel place where the slightest legal or social violation could lead to a painful and horrific death. Over the past few hundred years, most Western nations have abolished death penalty. But in the past, it was very often the goal to inflict as much pain as possible on the person being executed.

There were various reasons for this; some of them political, religious, and some used as intimidation. Regardless of the reasons, the executions were horrendous. See below for some of the worst executions in human history.

Skafism

Scaphism (also known as "boats") was an ancient Persian method of execution whereby the condemned person was tied inside a small boat or hollowed out tree trunk. The only thing left outside was the arms, legs and head of the victim.

The victim was forcibly fed milk and honey to induce severe diarrhea. Moreover, the whole body was smeared with honey, with special emphasis on the eyes, ears and mouth.
The honey attracted insects, which bred in the victim's excrement or in his dead skin. Death occurred after a few days or weeks from dehydration, starvation and septic shock.

Bestiaries

IN Ancient Rome huge crowds gathered in the amphitheaters to witness the cruel and inhuman execution.

Bestiaries were one of the favorite activities at these gatherings. The prisoners were sent to the center of the arena. Angry wild tigers and lions were also released there. The animals remained in the arena until they maimed or gnawed to death the last victim.

It is important to note that some entered the arena voluntarily, for money or fame, but these fighters were given weapons and armor and fought purely for the entertainment of the crowd, while criminals or political prisoners were completely defenseless and deprived of a chance to defend themselves.

Elephant execution

Death by elephant was a common method of execution in South and Southeast Asia, although Western powers like Rome and Carthage also resorted to it.

Death came either quickly or slowly, depending on the severity of the crime. A trained elephant would either step on the head, causing instant death, or step on the limbs, crushing one after the other.

Vertical shaker

The vertical shaker was invented in the United States in the 19th century. It is very reminiscent of hanging, but in this case, the prisoner was strongly lifted up by the neck in order to break spinal cord and cause instant death. This method was intended to replace traditional hanging, but did not see widespread use.

Sawing

The sawing execution was used throughout the world. Often, the condemned was hung upside down, which allowed the executioners to start sawing from the genitals. The inverted position allowed enough blood to flow to the brain to keep the victim alive for the horrific torture to continue.

Live skinning

Live skinning also used different cultures. The victim was held while her skin was cut from her body. Death came from shock, blood loss, hypothermia or infection, and it could take.

In some cultures, a person's skin was hung in a public place to warn others of the consequences of disobeying the law.

wheeling

Wheeling is one of the most brutal executions on our list. Reserved for particularly nasty criminals. The convict was tied to a large, spoked wheel. He was then beaten with clubs or other blunt instruments.

blood eagle

The blood eagle is a ritual method of execution described in Scandinavian poetry. The ribs of the condemned person were broken out so that they resembled wings, and the lungs were taken out and hung on the ribs.

There is some debate about whether the ritual was a fictional literary device or an actual historical practice, but many agree that the details are too macabre to be used in practice.

Burning at the stake

We have all seen this inquisitorial execution that was shown in the movies, but few understand how widespread it was in medieval times and antiquity.

In Europe, the convicted person was often given a chance to confess for a lighter sentence - they were strangled to death before the fire was lit. Otherwise, they either burned out or died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

bamboo torture

An unusual and very painful method of execution. It is believed to have been used in parts of Asia as well as by Japanese soldiers during World War II.

The victim was placed on pointed bamboo shoots. Within a few weeks, a very resilient plant began to grow right through the victim's body, eventually piercing him.

The prisoner was fed, not allowing him to die prematurely, thus making his death even more painful.

Lynchy

Lingchi, also known as "Slow Slicing" or "Death by Thousands of Wounds," is a particularly gruesome execution method used in China from ancient times until 1905.

The executioner gradually and methodically cut the victim into pieces, leaving her alive for as long as possible.

Buried alive

Unfortunately, many cultures have used this method of execution for centuries. Death came in the form of suffocation, dehydration, or worst of all starvation. In some cases, fresh air entered the coffin from below, as a result of which the condemned man remained alive in complete darkness for several days or weeks, until he finally died.

spanish tickler

The Spanish tickler is an execution method also known as "Cat's Paw". The Cat's Paw was a torture and execution device. The device was attached to the executioner's hand, allowing him to easily peel the flesh from the victim. Everything was done live, and the convict died much later due to infection.

In the modern world, there is no place for torture, they are no longer resorted to in the justice system in order to punish someone or get a confession to their deed. Now only the Museum of Torture can illustrate how the torture of the Inquisition took place.

Today, the most terrible torture is the electric chair, and what happened before ... it’s scary to imagine

The tortures were so cruel that not everyone has the willpower to look at their dummies, which the Museum of Torture provides so that everyone can see the face of justice in the Middle Ages.

It is difficult to determine the worst torture in the history of mankind, since each of them was quite painful and cruel, but you can still highlight the 20 most horrific.

Let's start with torture, which can rightfully be included in the top twenty of the most inhuman abuse of people. The torture of the Inquisition included this method of punishing sinful people. In the Middle Ages, resorting to this cruel form of torture, the church punished sinners who were revealed to be in love with their own sex, for example, a woman with a woman or a man with a man. Such kind of love and relationships was considered blasphemy and a desecration of the church of God, so these people were in for a terrible punishment."SPICY PEAR"

A tool for terrible torture - "Sharp Pear"

Instruments of torture of this type had a pear-like appearance. Accused female blasphemers were placed in the vagina, and male sinners in the anus or mouth. After the instrument was introduced into the body of the victim, the executioner began the second stage of torture, which consisted in making the person suffer terribly after gradually, when the screw was unscrewed, the sharp leaves of the pear opened inside the flesh. Opening, the pear tore the internal organs of a woman or a man to pieces. The lethal outcome came from the fact that the victim lost a large amount of blood, or from the deformation of the internal organs formed during the opening of the deadly killer pear.

THE ANCIENT TORTURE OF THE WORLD INCLUDES THE PUNISHMENT OF THE GUILTY WITH THE HELP OF RATS

This is one of the most cruel tortures in the history of mankind, which was invented in China, and was especially popular among the Inquisition in the 16th century. The victim suffered terrible pain. Rats were the main instrument of torture. A person was placed on a large table, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe womb a rather heavy cage was placed, stuffed with rats, which must have been hungry. Of course, this is far from the end: then the bottom of the cage was removed, after which the rats ended up on the victim’s stomach, at the same time hot coals were laid out on top of the cage, the rats got scared from the heat and, trying to escape from the cage, gnawed through the belly of a person, so escaping way. People died in terrible agony.

METAL TORTURE

CAT'S CLAW

The sinner was gradually and slowly torn out in pieces of skin, flesh and ribs with an iron hook, passing along the back.

GRIM ROK

This instrument of torture is known in several forms: horizontal and vertical. If a vertical version was used on the victim, then the sinner was hooked under the ceiling, while twisting the joints, and weight was constantly added to the legs, stretching the body as much as possible. The use of the horizontal version of the rack ensured the rupture of the muscles and joints of the convict.

CRANIAL PRESS

This is a kind of crushing machine for killing the convict. The principle of operation of the cranial press was to gradually compress the skull of the victim, this press crumbled the teeth, jaw, cranial bones of a person until the brain fell out of the sinner's ears.

JUDAH'S CRADLE

The very name of the weapon is quite insidious, but not only the name excites. This inquisitorial tool did not break or tear anything on the body of the victim. With the help of a rope, the sinner was lifted up and seated on a “cradle”, the top of which was in the shape of a triangle and quite sharp. This top was seated in such a way that the sharp edge went well into the anus or vagina of the victim. Sinners fainted from pain, they were brought back to consciousness and continued to be tortured.

IRON MAIDEN

The shape of this tool resembles a female figure - it is a sarcophagus, inside of which is empty, but not without spikes and many blades, the location of which is provided in such a way that they do not touch the vital parts of the body of the accused, while cutting other parts. The sinner died in agony for several days.

Thus, sinners, thieves and other people who were accused of this or that evil deed against the church, the king, and so on, suffered the most cruel fate. The condemned experienced the most terrible torments, being in the hands of a cruel executioner.

It’s good that today it’s only history and tools for torture are not used.