7 Shocking Punishment in The Middle Ages
In the Middle ages, punishment in Europe was shocking and horrible
Punishment has always been used throughout the world as a powerful tool to extract information from people or forcing criminals to confess to their crimes — regardless of their innocence or guilt.
However, the Middle Ages are particularly infamous for their shocking punishment and torture that can send shudders down your spine. The nature of the punishments was so inhumane that it was unimaginable to withstand it. And once faced with it, whether or not you had done something, you would have confessed to it.
Today I am telling you about the seven shocking punishments of the Middle Ages that were prevalent in Europe to torture the criminals or innocents to confess to something whether or not done.
1# The Iron Chair
The Iron Chair was the most fearsome torture device that was used in Europe in the Middle Ages for punishment.
It contained lots of piercing spikes around and afflicted excruciating pains once someone was forced to sit on it. They would tie the victim with the straps on it and would gradually tighten it.
With the force applied, the spikes would enter the body of the victim, tearing his flesh down to the bones. Withstanding such a horrible punishment was not humanly possible and one has to confess to the crimes, whether or not committed.
2# The Thumbscrew
As the name suggests, it was a horrible torture device used to crack hard nut criminals.
It was also used to punish the enemies to the satisfaction that they really get the pain in their bones. However, it was devised in a way that had a vice in it, with studs sticking out on the interior surfaces.
They would place a victim's toe, thumb, or finger in the vice and would slowly crush the nail bed-sensitive flesh by screwing it. Even imagining causes goosebumps, what to say of getting such a savage pain in reality!
3# Rat Torture
This was the most horrible and fearsome punishment among others. To force an enemy to disclose sensitive information or torturing the criminals to confess to their crimes, they would place a rat on the stomach of the victim covered by a metal pot.
They would apply intense heat to the pot that would panic the rat to find an immediate escape. Having no other escape, the rat would start digging into the belly of the victim.
No man in the world can stand this punishment as much as I believe. The idea of a rat digging into one's stomach makes one freak out.
4# The Judas Cradle
The Judas Cradle was the most shameful and insulting torture device designed to punish the hard nuts.
It was designed like a small table having a pyramidal shape upon which they would force a victim to sit. They would place the spike of the Judas Cradle in the orifice of the victim and would stretch it down by force or applying weight to it to force the victim to confess or disclose the information.
5# The Iron Maiden
The Iron Maiden was a punishment device of the Middle Ages that had a human long wooden cabinet with spikes on the interior surface.
It came with different structures with multiple countries and kingdoms but the function remained the same: to kill and torture the enemies and criminals with it. If they would use it for interrogation, they would place the victim in the Iron Maiden wooden chamber and locked it.
The interrogator would then start prodding the victim with the iron poles and spikes until the victim would give a satisfactory confession.
6# The Cage
The Cage has also used as a punishment and torture device by the Europeans in the Middle Ages.
It was a metal cage designed to house a human, but small enough to restrict the victim’s movement. They would often hang the cage in the public square with the victim in it without giving him food or water until the disclosure of the information or confession of the crime.
It was also a fearsome medieval execution method to left the criminal or the enemy in the public and starve him/her to death. They also used the punishment as a deterrent that others may not commit wrongs or obey the law.
7# Flogging
Flogging as a punishment method has been used since time immemorial, and even today it is used to correct the behavior of the wrongdoers.
It is considered to be a commonplace punishment and but was feared in the middle ages. The punishers would use sticks and rods with spikes that would cause tearing flesh and breaking bones to bring the criminal to his/her senses.
Flogging was used and even today it is in fashion in some countries where certain religious people use it for self-punishment to atone for the sins.
