10 MOST BRUTAL TORTURE DEVICES THROUGHOUT HISTORY

[ReedeFox]

There have been some pretty barbaric torture devices throughout history, but not as much as the gruesome middle ages. Here are 10 of the most brutal torture techniques ever created. I'm glad I was born in the 80s!

The Tub
Known as the punishment of ‘sitting in the tub,’ the convicted person would be placed in a wooden tub with only their head sticking out. After that, the executioner would paint their faces with milk and honey; and soon, flies would begin to feed on them. The victim was also fed regularly and would end up swimming in their excrement.  After a few days, maggots and worms would devour their body as they decayed alive.



Saw Torture
In this method, the victim is hung upside down, so that the blood will rush to their heads and keep them conscious during the long torture. The torturer would then saw through the victims’ bodies until they were completely sawed in half. Most were cut up only in their abdomen to prolong their agony.



Brazen Bull
AKA the Sicilian Bull, was designed in ancient Greece. It was a solid piece of brass with a door on the side that could be opened and latched. The victim would be placed inside the bull and a fire set underneath it until the metal became yellow as it was heated. The victim would then be slowly roasted to death.



Impalement
This was the most favored method of execution by Vlad the Impaler. In 15th century Romania; the victim was forced to sit on a sharp and thick pole. When the pole was then raised upright, the victim was left to slide down the pole with their own weight. It could take the victim 3 days to die using this method and it has been said that Vlad once did this to 20,000 people all while enjoying a meal.



Heretics Fork
This torture device consisted of a metal piece with two opposed bi-pronged forks attached to a belt or strap. One end of the device was pushed under the chin, the other to the sternum, and the strap was used to secure the victim’s neck to the tool while the victim hung from the ceiling or was somehow suspended so that they could not sleep. If their heads dropped, the prongs would pierce their throat and chest.



The Judas Cradle
Closely related to impalement, this gruesome punishment entailed having the victim sit on the pyramid-shaped cradle, after which they would be forced down on it by ropes with the intent of stretching the victim’s orifice over a long period of time, slowly impaling them. To add to the overall humiliation, the victim was usually naked and the device was rarely washed.  So if the torture did not kill you, the infection contracted from it would.



The Iron Maiden
This torture device consisted of an iron cabinet with a hinged front and spike-covered interior, sufficient enough to enclose a human being. Once inside its conical frame, the victim would be unable to move due to the great number of steel spikes impaling them from every direction. The interrogator would scream questions at the victim while poking them with jagged edges.



Thumbscrew
Though there are many variations of this torture device, the thumbscrew or ‘pilliwinks’ all function the same. They were designed to slowly crush not only the fingers and toes but larger devices were also used to crush knees and elbows. There is also the Head Crusher, which could do the same for heads. It’s primary intention was to extract confessions from victims and it was first used in medieval times.



The Rack
Designed to dislocate every joint off the victim’s body, it was believed to be the most painful form of medieval torture. This torture device was made out of a wooden frame with two ropes fixed to the bottom and the other two tied into the handle on top. Once the victim was bound and placed on top of the rack,  the torturer would proceed to turn the handle.  Eventually, the victim would be stretched till his limbs were dislocated.  The torturers, however, (just to make sure those limbs were indeed dislocated) would continue to turn the wheel until the limbs were completely torn off the victim’s body.



Tongue Tearer
Looking like an oversized pair of scissors, it could effortlessly cut the victim’s tongue. Their mouth would be forced opened with a device called a mouth opener, and then the iron tongue tearer would uncomfortably twitch the tongue with its rough grippers. Once a firm hold was maintained, the screw would be firmly tightened and the victim’s tongue would roughly be torn out.



If there's a time machine ever invented, remind me not to take a trip to the middle ages.

[confusedCoyote]

Brazen Bull
AKA the Sicilian Bull, was designed in ancient Greece. It was a solid piece of brass with a door on the side that could be opened and latched. The victim would be placed inside the bull and a fire set underneath it until the metal became yellow as it was heated. The victim would then be slowly roasted to death.

The only one that the victim was then made into jewellery

[parkaner]

I never knew that's what a Judas Cradle was, but there's a song by Sugar with that name

so some of the lyrics make more sense now

Have you seen the Judas Cradle
Inbetween the Judas Cradle

As the point gets driven home
You lose your resistance
Splits you down the middle man
And increase the distance

You'd rock it if you were able
Can you hang with Judas Cradle
Throw me back into the fire
Peel the skin away from bones


While looking that up, I found another device called a Spanish Donkey, where the victim sits on a pointed ridge with weights on their legs.

[ReedeFox]

Ah shit, it's just so fucking brutal. But our morbid curiosity prevents us from looking away.