Inquisition(from lat. inquisitio- investigation, search) catholic church a special ecclesiastical court for cases of heretics, which existed in the 13th-19th centuries. Back in 1184, Pope Lucius III and Emperor Frederick 1 Barbarossa established a strict procedure for the search for heretics by bishops, and the investigation of their cases by episcopal courts. The secular authorities were obliged to carry out the death sentences passed by them. For the first time, the Inquisition as an institution was discussed at the 4th Lateran Council convened by Pope Innocent III (1215), which established a special process for the persecution of heretics (per inquisitionem), for which defamatory rumors were declared sufficient grounds. From 1231 to 1235, Pope Gregory IX, in a number of decrees, transferred the functions of persecuting heresies, previously performed by bishops, to special commissioners - inquisitors (originally appointed from among the Dominicans, and then the Franciscans). In a number European states(Germany, France, etc.) Inquisitorial tribunals were established, which were entrusted with investigating cases of heretics, pronouncing and executing sentences. Thus was the institution of the Inquisition formalized. Members of the inquisitorial tribunals had personal immunity and jurisdiction to local secular and ecclesiastical authorities, and were directly dependent on the pope. Due to the secret and arbitrary course of legal proceedings, the accused by the Inquisition were deprived of any guarantees. The widespread use of cruel torture, the encouragement and reward of informers, the material interest of the Inquisition itself and the papacy, which received huge funds through the confiscation of the property of convicts, made the Inquisition a scourge of Catholic countries. Those sentenced to death were usually handed over to secular authorities for burning at the stake (see Auto-da-fe). In the 16th century I. became one of the main instruments of the counter-reformation. In 1542, a Supreme Inquisition Tribunal was established in Rome. Many outstanding scientists and thinkers (G. Bruno, G. Vanini and others) became victims of the Inquisition. The Inquisition was especially raging in Spain (where from the end of the 15th century it was closely connected with the royal power). In just 18 years of activity of the chief Spanish inquisitor Torquemada (15th century), more than 10 thousand people were burned alive.

The tortures of the Inquisition were very diverse. The cruelty and ingenuity of the Inquisitors are amazing. Some medieval instruments of torture have survived to this day, but most often even museum exhibits have been restored according to descriptions. We present to your attention a description of some well-known instruments of torture.

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 spikes pierced his skin. The executioners often increased the agony of the agonizing victim by building a fire under the seat. The iron chair quickly heated up, causing severe burns. During interrogation, the victim's limbs could be pierced 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.

rack-bed

This is one of the most common instruments of torture found in historical descriptions. The rack was used throughout Europe. Usually this tool was a large table with or without legs, on which the convict was forced to lie down, and his legs and arms were fixed with wooden dies. Immobilized in this way, the victim was "stretched", causing her unbearable pain, often until the muscles were torn. The rotating drum for tensioning chains was not used in all versions of the rack, but only in the most ingenious "modernized" models. The executioner could cut the victim's muscles to hasten the final tearing of the tissues. The body of the victim was stretched over 30 cm before rupturing. Sometimes the victim was tightly tied to the rack in order to make it easier to use other methods of torture, such as tongs for pinching the nipples and other sensitive parts of the body, cauterization with a red-hot iron, etc.

This is by far the most common form of torture, and was often used in legal proceedings in the beginning, as it was considered a mild form of torture. The defendant's hands were tied behind his back, and the other end of the rope was thrown over the winch ring. The victim was either left in this position, or the rope was pulled strongly and continuously. Often, an additional weight was tied to the notes of the victim, and the body was torn with tongs, such as, for example, "witch spider" to make the torture less gentle. The judges thought that witches knew many ways of witchcraft that allowed them to calmly endure torture, so it was not always possible to achieve a confession. We can refer to a series of trials in Munich at the beginning of the 17th century against eleven people. Six of them were constantly tortured with an iron boot, one of the women was dismembered in the chest, the next five were wheeled, and one was impaled. They, in turn, denounced twenty-one more people, who were immediately interrogated in Tetenwang. Among the new accused was one very respected family. The father died in prison, the mother, after being put on the rack eleven times, confessed to everything she was accused of. The daughter, Agnes, aged twenty-one, stoically endured the ordeal on the rack with extra weight, but did not admit her guilt, and only said that she forgives her executioners and accusers. It was only after several days of incessant ordeal in the torture chamber that she was told of her mother's full confession. After attempting suicide, she confessed to all heinous crimes, including cohabiting with the Devil since the age of eight, devouring the hearts of thirty people, participating in covens, causing a storm, and denying the Lord. Mother and daughter were sentenced to be burned at the stake.

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 in. until about 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 an excellent 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, tied to the "Stork" passed from a simple experience of torment to a state of complete insanity. 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.

The "Inquisition chair", known as the "witch's chair", was highly valued as a good remedy against silent women accused of witchcraft. This common instrument was especially widely used by the Austrian Inquisition. The chairs were of various sizes and shapes, all equipped with spikes, with handcuffs, blocks to restrain 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 mad with pain, but without confessing to the crime.

According to the inventor, Ippolito Marsili, the introduction of the Vigil was a watershed in the history of torture. Modern system obtaining a confession does not involve inflicting bodily harm. There are no broken vertebrae, twisted ankles, or crushed joints; the only substance that suffers is the victim's nerves. The idea behind the torture was to keep the victim awake for as long as possible, a kind of insomnia torture. But the "Vigil", which was not originally seen as cruel torture, took on various, sometimes extremely cruel forms.

The victim was raised to the top of the pyramid and then gradually lowered. The top of the pyramid was supposed to penetrate into the anus, testicles or calf, and if a woman was tortured, then the vagina. The pain was so severe that often the accused lost consciousness. If this happened, the procedure was delayed until the victim awoke. In Germany, "torture by vigil" was called "guarding the cradle."

This torture is very similar to vigil torture. The difference is that the main element of the device is a pointed wedge-shaped corner made of metal or hard wood. The interrogated person was hung over an acute angle, so that this angle rested against the crotch. A variation on the use of the "donkey" is the tying of a load to the legs of the interrogated, bound and fixed on a sharp corner.

A simplified view of the "Spanish donkey" can be considered a tight rigid rope or a metal cable, called the "Mare", more often this type of tool is used for women. The rope stretched between the legs is pulled up as high as possible and the genitals are rubbed to blood. The rope type of torture is quite effective as it is applied to the most sensitive parts of the body.

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 the cycle continued.

To the best way to perform the procedure of this torture, the accused was placed on one of the varieties of the rack or on a special big 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 defendant lay naked on the table for hours under a stream of water. ice 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.

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 for quite a long time. The first case of trial using the "Virgin" is dated 1515. It was described in detail by Gustav Freitag in his book bilder aus der deutschen vergangenheit. The punishment befell the perpetrator of the forgery, who suffered for three days inside the sarcophagus.

wheeling

Sentenced to wheeling with an iron crowbar or wheel, all the large bones of the body were broken, then he was tied to a large wheel, and the wheel was mounted on a pole. The condemned would end up face up, looking up at the sky, and die like that from shock and dehydration, often for quite a long time. The suffering of the dying man was aggravated by the birds pecking at him. Sometimes, instead of a wheel, they simply used a wooden frame or a cross made of logs.

Vertically mounted wheels were also used for wheeling.

Wheeling is a very popular system of both torture and execution. It was used only when accused of witchcraft. Usually the procedure was divided into two phases, both of which are quite painful. The first consisted in breaking most of the bones and joints with the help of a small wheel, called the crushing wheel, and equipped on the outside with many spikes. The second was designed in case of execution. It was assumed that the victim, broken and crippled in this way, literally, like a rope, would slip between the spokes of the wheel onto a long pole, where he would remain to await death. A popular version of this execution combined wheeling and burning at the stake - in this case, death came quickly. The procedure was described in the materials of one of the trials in Tyrol. In 1614, a vagabond named Wolfgang Selweiser from Gastein, found guilty of dealing with the devil and causing a storm, was sentenced by the Leinz court to be both wheeled and burned at the stake.

Limb Press or "Knee Crusher"

A variety of devices for crushing and breaking joints, both knee and elbow. Numerous steel teeth, penetrating inside the body, inflicted terrible stab wounds, due to which the victim bled.

The "Spanish boot" was a kind of manifestation of "engineering genius", since the judiciary during the Middle Ages took care that the best masters created more and more sophisticated devices that made it possible to weaken the will of the prisoner and quickly and easily achieve a confession. The metal "Spanish boot", equipped with a system of screws, gradually squeezed the victim's lower leg until the bones were broken.

"Iron Shoe" - close relative"Spanish boot" In this case, the executioner "worked" not with the lower leg, but with the foot of the interrogated. Too much use of the device usually resulted in fractures of the bones of the tarsus, metatarsus, and fingers.

This medieval device, it should be noted, was highly valued, especially in northern Germany. Its function was quite simple: the victim's chin was placed on a wooden or iron support, and the lid of the device was screwed onto the victim's head. First, the teeth and jaws were crushed, then, as the pressure increased, the brain tissue began to flow out of the skull. Over time, this tool has lost its significance as a murder weapon and has become widespread as an instrument of torture. Despite the fact that both the cover of the device and the bottom support are lined with a soft material that does not leave any marks on the victim, the device puts the prisoner in a state of "cooperation" after only a few turns of the screw.

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 seen as "divine retribution." The pillory, on the one hand, could be considered a relatively mild method of punishment, in which the guilty were simply exposed in a public place for general ridicule. 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 - tick treatment, the cause of which could be popular indignation or personal enmity, sometimes led to mutilation or even the death of the convicted person.

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 law governing the use of torture only allowed the Throne to be used once during an interrogation. But most of the judges got around this rule, simply calling the next session a continuation of the same first one. The use of "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 long-term use. It should be noted that simultaneously with this torture, the prisoners were also tortured with water and a red-hot iron.

It could be wooden or iron, for one or two women. It was an instrument of soft torture, with a rather psychological and symbolic meaning. There is no documented evidence that the use of this device resulted in physical injury. It was applied mainly to those guilty of slander or insult to the person, the hands and neck of the victim were fixed in small holes, so that the punished woman found herself in a prayer pose. One can imagine the victim's suffering from circulatory failure and pain in the elbows when the device was worn for long periods, sometimes for several days.

A brutal instrument used to immobilize a criminal in a cruciform position. It is credible that the Cross was invented in Austria in the 16th and 17th centuries. This follows from the book "Justice in Old Times" from the collection of the Museum of Justice in Rottenburg ob der Tauber (Germany). A very similar model, which was in the castle tower in Salzburg (Austria), is mentioned in one of the most detailed descriptions.

The suicide bomber was seated on a chair with his hands tied behind his back, an iron collar rigidly fixed the position of his head. In the process of execution, the executioner twisted the screw, and the iron wedge slowly entered the skull of the condemned, leading to his death.

Neck trap - ring with nails on inside and with a device resembling a trap on the outside. Any prisoner who tried to hide in the crowd could be easily stopped using this device. After being caught by the neck, he could no longer free himself, and he was forced to follow the overseer without fear that he would resist.

This tool really looked like a double-sided steel fork with four sharp spikes piercing the body under the chin and in the sternum area. It was tightly fastened with a leather strap to the criminal's neck. This type of fork was used in trials for heresy and witchcraft. Penetrating deep into the flesh, it hurt with any attempt to move the head and allowed the victim to speak only in an unintelligible, barely audible voice. Sometimes on the fork one could read the Latin inscription "I renounce".

The instrument was used to stop the piercing screams of the victim, which bothered the Inquisitors and interfered with their conversation with each other. The iron tube inside the ring was tightly thrust into the throat of the victim, and the collar was locked with a bolt at the back of the head. The hole allowed air to pass through, but if desired, it could be plugged with a finger and cause suffocation. This device was often applied to those condemned to be burned at the stake, especially in the great public ceremony called the Auto-da-fé, when heretics were burned by the dozen. The iron gag made it possible to avoid the situation when the convicts drown out the spiritual music with their cries. Giordano Bruno, guilty of being too progressive, was burned to death in Rome in Campo dei Fiori in 1600 with an iron gag in his mouth. The gag was equipped with two spikes, one of which, piercing the tongue, came out under the chin, and the second crushed the sky.

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 French judges in relation to witches who became pregnant from the "devil of nightmares" or even from Satan himself.

Women who have sinned by abortion or adultery had a chance to get acquainted with this subject. Having heated its sharp teeth white hot, the executioner tore the victim’s chest into pieces. In some areas of France and Germany until the 19th century, this instrument was called the "Tarantula" or "Spanish Spider".

This device was inserted into the mouth, anus, or vagina, and when the screw was tightened, the “pear” segments opened as much as possible. As a result of this torture, the internal organs were seriously damaged, often leading to death. In the open state, the sharp ends of the segments dug into the wall of the rectum, into the pharynx or cervix. This torture was meant for homosexuals, blasphemers, and women who had abortions or sinned with the Devil.

Cells

Even if there was enough space between the bars to push the victim in, there was no chance for her to get out, because the cage was hung very high. Often the size of the hole at the bottom of the cage was such that the victim could easily fall out of it and break. The foreknowledge of such an end added to the suffering. Sometimes a sinner in this cage, suspended from a long pole, was lowered into the water. In the heat, a sinner could be hung in it in the sun for as many days as he could endure without a drop of water to drink. There are cases when prisoners, deprived of food and drink, died of starvation in such cells and their dried remains terrified their comrades in misfortune.

Technical description

Artistic description

Spanish horse

"Spanish donkey" (Spanish donkey)invented by the medieval Inquisition to punish women accused of heresy or witchcraft, but there are cases when representatives of the strong half of humanity were also on the “horse”.

A variation of it is considered to be torture with a stretched hard rope (metal cable), which rubbed the genitals to blood.

Since its inception, the device has been modified and modified, acquiring more and more sophisticated details, both technical and aesthetic. But the essence remains unchanged, namely a pointed corner of a triangular shape, which serves as a kind of saddle. It was this invention that preceded the appearance of the Judas Cradle.

The structure was made of metal and wood, and sometimes combined both materials. A naked man was tied up and put on the "Donkey" in such a way that his legs did not reach the ground. To increase pain, the tormentors stretched their ankles in different sides or tied additional cargo to them. If this was not enough for repentance and confession of all sins, then hot ash was applied to the feet of the victim or they were tickled with flames.

Torture was accompanied by a rupture of the perineum and profuse blood loss, and often ended in painful breaking of the sacrum.

There is information about the trial of a woman named Maddalena Lazari, which took place in Bormio in 1673. For 4 months she was subjected to various tortures, but did not admit her guilt. In the end, the city council decided to sentence her to 15 hours of goats, followed by a repeat of the procedure if she did not plead guilty. There was no need to continue, since Maddalena Lazari, who withstood all other tortures, was broken by this one after 3 hours. However, she was tortured on goats for another five hours to confirm her "free" confessions. Then she was sentenced to beheading and then burned at the stake. Her ashes were scattered to the wind.

Interesting fact:

During the Edo period, this torture was used in Japan, where they thus fought the spread of Christianity and forced apostates to renounce their faith.

Artistic description

Do you like to ride? This noble occupation would have been extremely inconvenient if not for the invention of the saddle.

As soon as she sees the torture device, the commoner sentenced to death puts her feet on the floor, and literally hangs on the hands of her guards, who stubbornly drag her to the “Spanish horse”. She screams curses as rude executioners spread her legs apart, tie her hands to the head of the "horse", and seat her on a wooden beam. Biting her lip in pain, the convict tries to deviate to the left or right in order to fall to the floor, but the sharp angle looking upwards limits such maneuvers. Legs dangle in the air, and the place where they converge becomes a source of cutting, humiliating pain. All she can do is sob, and helplessly knead the air with her feet, inner surface from which hot blood flows. The woman for some time plunges into a monotonous pain trance, involuntarily calling for help the anesthetic childbearing instinct. But when the tormentors tie two stone weights to her feet, the "Spanish horse" turns into a giant knife, cutting the body in half with a truly savage slowdown. The adulteress, minute by minute, feels her natural anatomical cavity expanding. Blood irrigates the floor in a thin trickle. Suddenly, something clicks inside her - she falls into madness, and begins to bounce on the "donkey" with inhuman zeal to hasten her own death. Another internal click, but everyone in the cell can already hear it. This is the sound of the sacrum breaking.

The tortures of the Inquisition were very different and designed for varying degrees of physical pain - from dull aching to sharp and unbearable. One can only be surprised and amazed at the ingenuity of the holy fathers, with which these terrible instruments of torture were invented and with which they were able to diversify the torments they inflicted.

They started with the simplest tortures and then gradually complicated them. Often, different tortures were "combined", forming a whole system of torture - categories, categories, degrees. It was a real hellish scale of agonizing torments.

The witch went from one degree of torment to another, from one category of torture to another, until a confession was torn out of her. Immediately before being tortured in the dungeons of the Inquisition, the suspect was subjected to some tests to make sure of her guilt.

"Test by water"

One such test was the “water test”. The woman was undressed, which in itself is already incredibly humiliating and can deprive the remnants of courage, tied up "crosswise", so that right hand tied to thumb left leg and left hand- to the finger right foot. Of course, that any person in such a position cannot move. The executioner lowered the bound suspect on a rope three times into a pond or river. If the victim drowned, they pulled her out, and the suspicion was considered unproven. If the alleged witch managed to somehow save her life and not drown, then her guilt was considered undoubted and she was interrogated and tortured. They motivated such a test with water by the fact that the devil gives the body of witches a special lightness that does not allow them to drown, or by the fact that water does not accept into its bosom people who, by concluding an alliance with the devil, have shaken off the holy water of baptism.

Another test with water was explained by the lightness of the witch's body. The suspect's weight represented a rather important indication of guilt. What can you say? Only that all today's fragile girls - not to mention fashion models, are probably witches!

At times, the fact that the victim was forced to say “Our Father” could also serve as proof of guilt, and if she stammered at some point and could not continue further, she was recognized as a witch.

"Needle Trial"

The most common test that all suspects were subjected to before being tortured, and sometimes even in those cases when they were able to endure torture without confessing, was the so-called “test with a needle”, to find the “devil's seal” on the body.

It was believed that the devil at the conclusion of the contract imposes a seal on some place on the witch's body and that this place after that becomes insensitive, so that the witch does not feel any pain from the injection in this place and the injection does not even cause blood. Therefore, the executioner looked for such an insensitive place on the whole body of the victim and for this he pricked different parts of the body with a needle, especially in places that attracted his attention to something (birthmark, freckles, etc.), and made many injections, to see if blood is flowing.

At the same time, it also happened that the executioner, who was interested in convicting a witch (since as a rule he received a reward for each exposed witch), deliberately stabbed not with the point, but with the blunt end of the needle and announced that he had found the "devil's seal". Or he only pretended to stick a needle into the body, but in reality only touched the body with it and claimed that the place was not sensitive and blood did not flow from it.

It is known that, human body has a “survival resource” unknown to us, and in some critical situations it can “block” pain. Therefore, the inquisitors describe many cases where the suspects, in fact, were insensitive to pain.

The procedure of “preparation for torture” was especially humiliating for women, whom the executioner stripped naked and carefully examined her entire body to make sure that the unfortunate woman had not made herself insensitive to the action of instruments of torture by magical means or if she had hidden a witchcraft amulet somewhere. or some other magic tool. So that nothing remained hidden from the eyes of the executioner, he shaved off or burned the hair on the whole body with a torch or straw, “even in such places that cannot be pronounced before chaste ears, and examined everything carefully,” as it is written in the protocols of the inquisition courts. The defendant, naked and mutilated, was tied to a bench and the time for the actual torture came.

Torture "pulp"

One of the first tortures was the "pulp": the thumb was pinched between the screws; by screwing them, such strong pressure was obtained that blood flowed from the finger.

If the victim did not confess, then they took the “foot screw”, or “Spanish boot”. The leg was placed between two saws and squeezed in these terrible pincers so hard that the bone was sawn. To increase the pain, the executioner sometimes hit the screw with a hammer. Instead of the usual foot screw, toothed screws were often used, “because, according to the assurance of the inquisitors-executioners, the pain reaches the strongest degree; the muscles and bones of the leg are compressed to the point that blood flows from them and, according to many, the most strong man can't stand this kind of torture."

Torture of the Inquisition "Rack"

The next degree of torture, the so-called "rise", or "rack". The victim's hands were tied on the back and attached to a rope. The body was either left to hang freely in the air or laid on a ladder, one of the steps of which had sharp wooden stakes. The suspect was placed on stakes with his back. With the help of a rope thrown over a block, which was attached to the ceiling, a person was lifted up and pulled out so that often there was a dislocation of the "torsed" arms, which were above the head. The body was unexpectedly lowered down several times and then each time slowly lifted up, causing unbearable torment to the victim.

Judging by the acts of the Inquisition, only a few managed to withstand torture. And these few, for the most part, confessed immediately after the torture, under the influence of the exhortations of the judges and the threats of the executioner. The suspects were persuaded to confess voluntarily, because then they would still be able to save themselves from the fire and earn mercy, that is, death by the sword, otherwise the victim would be burned alive.

If the unfortunate man, even after such terrible tortures, had the strength to deny his guilt, then various weights were hung from his big toe. In this state, the victim was left until the complete rupture of all ligaments, which caused unbearable suffering, and at the same time, the executioner periodically flogged the accused with rods. If even then the suspect did not confess, the executioner lifted him to the ceiling, and then suddenly released the body, which fell from a height down, and the protocols contain descriptions of cases when, after such an “operation”, the hands were torn off, for which it was suspended.

Torture "necklace"

There was such a torture "necklace" - a ring with sharp nails inside, which was worn around the neck. The tips of the nails lightly touched the neck, but at the same time the legs were roasted on a brazier with burning coals, and the suspect, convulsively writhing in pain, stumbled upon the nails of the necklace himself.
Because the victim could only be tortured once, the judges announced frequent breaks during the torture and retired to refresh their strength with snacks and drinks. The prisoner was left on the rack or mare, where he suffered for hours. Then the judges returned and continued the torture, changing instruments.

"Wooden mare" ("Spanish donkey")

Then they moved on to the "wooden mare". It was a wooden beam, triangular, with a pointed angle, on which the unfortunate was put on horseback and weights were hung on his feet. sharp end The "mare" slowly slammed into the body as it descended, and the weights on the legs gradually increased after another refusal to confess.

water torture

The suspect was tied to a post, and water dripped very slowly on his crown. Over time, a person began to experience very severe pain where the drops fall. The victim could lose consciousness, and in some cases lose their mind.

The victim was undressed and seated on a chair in such a position that spikes dug into the body with any movement. The torture could go on for weeks. At the same time, the executioner could intensify the torment with red-hot tongs.

Prayer Cross - metal structure made it possible to fix the unfortunate victim in a very uncomfortable position in the form of a cross. The torture could go on for weeks.

Nuremberg Maiden (or Iron Maiden). One of the most famous designs for torture. The suspect was placed inside and the shutters were closed, and at this time sharp long spikes dug into the body.

Different methods of torture

Among the instruments of torture, we also find a revolving circular plate that pulled meat from the back of the suspect.

If the executioner was especially zealous, then he would invent new methods of torture, for example, pouring hot oil or vodka on the naked body of the suspect, or dripping boiling resin, or holding a lit candle under her hands, soles or other parts of the body.

Other tortures were added to this - for example, driving nails under the nails.

Quite often, the hanging victim was flogged with rods or belts with pieces of tin or hooks at the ends.

However, the suspects were not only subjected to physical suffering by “material means”. In England, for example, wakefulness torture was used. The accused was not allowed to sleep, he was driven from one place to another without rest, not allowing him to stop until his legs were covered with tumors and until the person came to a state of complete despair.

Sometimes the tortured were given only salty foods and at the same time they were not given anything to drink. The unfortunate, tormented by thirst, were ready for any confession and often with a crazy look asked to get drunk, promising to answer all the questions that the judges offered them.

Prisons of the Inquisition

Complementing the torture of the Inquisition were prisons in which suspects were kept. These prisons in themselves were both a test and a punishment for the unfortunate.

At that time, prisons were generally disgusting stinking holes, where cold, dampness, darkness, dirt, hunger, contagious diseases and an absolute lack of any kind of care for prisoners - in a short time turned the unfortunate people who got there into cripples, in mental patients, in rotting corpses.

But the prisons that were meant for witches were even worse. Such prisons were built specifically for witches, with special devices designed to inflict the most cruel torment on the victims. The mere detention of these prisons was enough to finally shock and torment the innocent woman who got there and force her to confess to all sorts of crimes of which she was accused.

One of the contemporaries of those times left a description internal device these prisons. He reports that prisons were placed in thick, well-fortified towers or in cellars. They contained several thick logs revolving around a vertical post or screw; holes were made in these logs, where the hands and feet of the suspects were put. To do this, the logs were unscrewed or moved apart, hands were placed in the holes between the upper logs, and the legs of the victim were placed in the holes between the lower logs; after which the logs were screwed or nailed with stakes or closed so tightly that the victim could not move either his arms or legs.

In some prisons there were wooden or iron crosses, to the ends of which the heads, arms and legs of the suspects were tightly tied, so that they had to either lie down, or stand, or hang all the time, depending on the position of the cross. In some prisons there were thick iron bands with iron wrists at the ends, to which the hands of the unfortunate were attached. Since the middle of these bands was attached to the wall with a chain, the prisoners could not even move.

Some prisoners were kept in constant darkness so that they could not see sunlight and could not tell day from night. They were immobile and lay in their own filth. They received disgusting quality food, could not sleep peacefully, tormented by worries, dark thoughts, evil dreams and all sorts of horrors. They were terribly bitten and tormented by lice, mice and rats.

And since all this could go on not only for months, but for whole years, people who entered prison vigorous, strong, patient and in a sober mind became very quickly weak, decrepit, crippled, cowardly and insane.

Bonfires of the Inquisition

The verdict of the court to commit the witch to be burned at the stake was usually posted on the town hall to general note, outlining the details of the witch's "proven" crimes.

The unfortunate one, sentenced to be burned at the stake, was dragged to the place of execution, tied to a wagon or to the tail of a horse, face down, along all the city streets. Behind her were the guards and the clergy, followed by a crowd of people. The verdict was read before the execution.

In some cases, a small fire was lit, with a small flame, to increase the torment. Often, to intensify the torment, the hands of those sentenced before execution were cut off, or the executioner, during the execution of the sentence, tore pieces of meat from their bodies with hot tongs.

Burning at the stake was more or less painful, depending on whether the wind drove the suffocating smoke to the person tied to the post or, on the contrary, drove away this smoke. In the latter case, the convict burned slowly, enduring terrible torment. Many had the moral strength to wait silently for the last beat of their hearts, while others filled the air with tearing cries. To drown out the screams of the victims, their tongues were tied and their mouths were gagged. The gathered crowd heard only the crackling of a burning fire and the monotonous singing of the church choir - until the unfortunate body turned into ashes ...

Torture involves inflicting excruciating pain on a person. The most terrible and disgusting instruments of torture were invented in the Middle Ages. It is known about no less terrible oriental tortures.

The most terrible torture of the Middle Ages

It is known that torture was especially cruel during the Middle Ages. Only by seeing the instruments of torture, one can understand how cruel that time was. The Inquisition, as a system of Christian justice, contributed to the invention of a huge number of tools with the help of which this "justice" was carried out. Here are some of the scariest ones.

Fork of the Heretic

The device, called the "Heretic Fork", was used during the period of the "Spanish investigation". The mechanism outwardly resembled a two-sided fork, fixed on the neck. Since no vital organs were pierced during this torture, it could last quite a long time.

The fork was engraved "I renounce". The fork caused severe pain with any movement of the head. Gradually, the flesh of a person was amazed, he died from infections.

pear torture

The instrument of torture, called the torture pear, is considered one of the most terrible. Not a single person survived after being tortured by her.

In appearance, the weapon looks like a metal pear. It was injected into the mouth, into the anus and into the vagina. As soon as the weapon was inserted inside, it opened up, tearing the flesh with sharp tips. Death during torture with such a pear was terrible. Usually, women guilty of a depraved lifestyle and men convicted of homosexuality were tortured with this weapon.

rat torture

The torture by rats is very terrible. A naked man was placed on his chest with a cage with hungry rats. The cage opened from the bottom. After the valve was removed, the rats bit into the body. To make the animals act faster, on upper part hot coals were placed in the cages. Wanting to escape from the heat, the rats simply gnawed their way out. At the same time, the person died, experiencing hellish torments.

Cradle of Judas

The torture device, called the Judas Cradle, is shaped like a pyramid. A naked person was placed on its sharp part. Gradually, the device crashed into the victim's body, tearing the anus and twisting the joints.

It is known that after such torture, only a few people survived. The rest died, screaming loudly in pain to the joy of the executioners and spectators.

The most terrible instruments of torture

The invention of instruments for torture was carried out by people who did not feel even a drop of pity for those who were to be tortured with these instruments. They knew exactly how to get the right evidence. The most important thing for them was to deliver as much pain and torment as possible to a person, to make his death terrible and slow. It is hard to believe that human ingenuity was used for such terrible purposes.

Iron Maiden

For the first time, an instrument of torture called the "Iron Maiden" was tested in 1515. Outwardly, it looks like a sarcophagus, inside of which there are many spikes and blades. They are located so as not to touch the vital organs of a person.

During the interrogation, the tortured person was placed in such a sarcophagus. The interrogation could go on for hours or even days. As soon as a person lost consciousness, he pierced the body, hanging on sharp spikes. Death did not come immediately and could drag on for several days.

Shiri (camel cap)

Such an instrument of torture was usually applied to slaves. First of all, the guilty slave was shaved baldly, after which they pulled a neck (flaked camel skin) over it. Then these people were taken away for five days as far as possible, usually they were wastelands. Camel skin dried out quickly, tightening the freshly shaved scalp. The hair did not grow through the neckline, because of which it began to grow inward. From the hellish pain, the slaves went crazy, and soon died.

copper bull

The instrument of torture, called the "Copper Bull", was invented by Perillus, a coppersmith from Greece. He presented his creation to the famous tormentor, the Sicilian tyrant Falaris.

During the torture, a person was placed in a bull through a special door. A fire was kindled under the bull's belly. The man screamed desperately, slowly frying. The bones of the executed in this way were considered decorations and amulets. The inventor Perillo was the first person to be tortured with the instrument of torture he had created.

Terrible oriental torture

Oriental torture differed significantly from the torture invented by European peoples. The main thing in any oriental torture is to make the victim experience psychological torment, accompanied by physical torment. It must be said that oriental torture did not always end in death.

To deal with the "enemies of the emperor" in the east, tickling torture and dripping water torture were used. Another variant of torture is a cramped box in which the imprisoned person was unable to move any part of the body. The "man-pig" torture was used to make the people horrified. They cut off a man's legs to the knees, his arms to the elbow, cut off his tongue, stunned and blinded him. In this state, he was sent to the pigs in the barn, where he remained until the end of his life.

Siam is known for especially terrible torture. The man was fed cut pieces of meat and strips of skin from him. Women in the East could also be tortured. For those who lived in a harem and were accused of disobedience, several neat incisions were made on the body, where molten lead was poured.

The worst torture in the world

There are many known tortures, each of which could be called the most terrible in the world. And yet, among the tortures of all time, the most cruel is considered the one that the Persian queen Parisatis used on the murderer of her beloved son Cyrus Jr. The name of this killer is Mithridates. His body was squeezed between two wooden troughs, leaving only his head and legs outside.

The killer's head was smeared with honey and milk, which attracted the attention of midges. Mithridates was force-fed, because of this, he constantly went under himself. Soon worms began to appear in the sewage and began to eat the man alive. Mithridates died for eighteen whole days, and the queen came every day, wanting to enjoy his torment.

Not only torture, but also prisons are frightening. The site has a site in which prisoners are kept.
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By modern standards, the Middle Ages is not the best period to live. Most of the people were poor, suffering from disease, their freedom dependent on wealthy landowners. And if you committed a crime and were not able to pay a fine, then you could cut off your hand, tongue, or cut out your lips ... The Middle Ages is the heyday of sophisticated torture and devices for causing terrible pain. Modern "legalized" torture is designed to inflict psychological or emotional suffering and has limited physical impact. But the devices used in the Middle Ages were really creepy. And in those days there were quite a few people who took pleasure in inventing the most terrifying contraptions.

Warning: The descriptions below are not intended for the faint of heart!

1. Impaling: a pointed stick is driven end up into the body of the victim

If you were Vlad the Impaler (better known as Dracula) in 15th century Romania, you would simply force your victims to sit on a thick, pointed stick. Then the stick was raised high, and under the influence of its own weight, the victim fell lower and lower onto the stake.

Also, the stake was stuck into the chest so that its tip was located under the chin to prevent further slipping. The victim died about three days later. Thus, Vlad executed from 20,000 to 30,000 people. According to eyewitnesses, Vlad liked to watch the impalement while eating.

2. Cradle of Judas: the anus of the victim is painfully stretched, the flesh is torn off

It's entirely possible that Judas' Cradle was less sadistic than impalement, but no less creepy. The anus or vagina of the victim was placed on the end of the cradle, then with the help of ropes the person was lifted above it. The device was intended for long-term stretching of the hole or for slow fitting.

Usually the victim was completely naked, thus, humiliation was added to the torture itself, and sometimes additional weight was tied to her legs, which increased pain and hastened death. Such torture could last from several hours to several days. The device was rarely washed, so often the victim also became infected with some kind of infection.

Source 3Coffin of Torture: Birds of Prey Pecked at the Victim in a Metal Cage

The coffin of torture was used in the Middle Ages and is often seen in films about that time (for example, in the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"). The victim was placed in a metal cage made like a human body. The executioners closed overweight people in a smaller device, or made the "coffin" a little larger than the victim's body to make her feel uncomfortable. Often the cage was hung on a tree or gallows.

Violent crimes such as heresy or blasphemy were punishable by death in such a coffin, by placing the victim in the sun and allowing birds or animals to eat their flesh. Sometimes onlookers threw stones or other objects at the victim to further increase her suffering.

4. Rack: designed to dislocate all the joints in the body of the victim

Who can fail to remember the terrifying rack, which is considered the most terrible device for medieval torture? It consists of a wooden frame with four ropes: two attached to the bottom and two tied to a handle at the top. When the executioner turned the handle, the ropes would taut, dragging the victim's arms with them, causing their bones to dislocate with a loud crunch. If the executioner continued to turn the handle (sometimes he skidded), then the limbs simply came off the body.

AT Late Middle Ages appeared new version rearing up. Spikes were added that dug into the back of the victim as soon as she lay down on the table. When tearing off limbs, the same thing happened with spinal cord, thus increasing not only the physical, but also the psychological pain that comes from the victim's realization that even if she manages to survive, he or she will forever lose the ability to move.

5. Breast Cutter: Painfully tears or mutilates a woman's breasts

Used as a terrible punishment for women. The chest cutter was used to inflict pain and mutilation of the chest. Commonly applied to women accused of abortion or adultery.

Red-hot tongs were placed over the bare chest of the victim, the spikes dug into the skin for a better grip. Then the executioner pulled them towards himself in order to tear off or mutilate the chest. If the victim was not killed, she was permanently mutilated, as her chest was completely torn off.

The most common version of this device was called "Spider", it was soldered to the wall. The woman's chest was attached to the tongs, the executioner pulled the victim away from the wall, while her chest was either torn off or severely mutilated. It was a very cruel punishment that often resulted in the death of the victim.

6. Pear: rips holes, displaces jawbones

This horrific device has been used to torture women who have had abortions, liars, blasphemers, and gay people. A pear-shaped instrument was thrust into one of the victim's orifices: a woman's vagina, a homosexual's anus, a liar's or a blasphemer's mouth.

The device consists of four petals, which are slowly separated from each other while the executioner turned the screw at its base. At a minimum, the device tore the skin, but at maximum expansion it mutilated the opening of the victim, could displace or break the jaw bones.

Pears that have come down to us are distinguished by engraving or decorations. According to them, the executioners distinguished between anal, vaginal or oral pears. This torture rarely led to death, more often other methods of torture were used along with it.

7 Crushing Wheel: Used To Mutilate The Victim's Limbs

Also called Catherine's wheel. This device always killed the victim, but did it very slowly. The human limbs were tied to the spokes of a large wooden wheel. Then the wheel began to spin slowly, while the executioner beat the limbs with an iron hammer, crushing the bones in several places.

Once all of the victim's bones were broken, they were left to die on the wheel. Sometimes the wheel was placed on a long stick so that the birds could peck at the flesh of the still-living person. It could take two or three days before the victim died of dehydration.

Sometimes, out of pity, the executioner was ordered to deliver a blow to the victim's chest or stomach, known as coups de grâce (French for "blow of mercy"). These blows inflicted mortal wounds and led to the death of the victim.

8 Saw: saws the victim in half

The saw was the most common instrument of torture, since it could be found in almost every home, and for its use there was no need to invent complex devices. This is a fairly simple way to torture and kill a victim accused of witchcraft, adultery, murder, blasphemy, and even theft.

The victim was tied upside down to increase blood flow to the brain. This allowed the victim to remain conscious for as long as possible, reduced blood loss, and contributed to maximum humiliation. The torture could last for hours.

Some victims were cut in half, but most were cut only to the abdomen in order to delay the moment of death.

9. Head press: compresses the skull, crushes the teeth, gouges out the eyes

The head press was a popular instrument of torture used by the Spanish Inquisition, among others. The chin was placed on the lower crossbar, and the head was placed under the cap located at the top. The executioner slowly turned the bolt, while the beam began to put pressure on the cap. The head was slowly compressed, at first the teeth were crushed, and only after some time the victim died from excruciating pain. Some models of this device had special eye containers that were squeezed out of the victim's eye sockets.

This device was effective for knocking out confessions, since torture, at the request of the executioner, could be stretched out for an indefinite time. If the torture was stopped halfway, then irreparable damage was done to the brain, jaw or eyes.

10. Knee crusher: separated knees and other limbs

Another tool favored by the Spanish Inquisition due to its versatility is the knee crusher. This is a sturdy fixture made of two planks with sharp spikes. The executioner turned the handle - and the planks began to slowly shrink, penetrating the skin and crippling the bones of the knee. It rarely resulted in death, but its use left the knee completely inoperative. It has also been used for other parts of the body such as elbows, arms and even legs.

The number of spikes varied from three to twenty. Sometimes barbs with spikes were pre-heated to increase the pain, or bars with hundreds of thin needles were used, which penetrated the skin more slowly and were more painful.