Most Frightening Torture Techniques from the Middle Ages (medieval torture methods)By David Morton. The Middle Ages were not a nice period to live in by our cushy modern standards. Gendered Violence: Castration and Blinding as Punishment for Treason in Normandy and Anglo-Norman England. Most people were poor, they suffered from disease, and their freedom was owned by wealthy landowners. And if you committed a crime and could not afford to pay a fine, your hand might have been chopped off or your tongue and lips cut out. The Middle Ages were the golden age of torture techniques and devices that inflicted horrible pain. Today’s “sanctioned” torture techniques are designed to cause psychological or emotional distress, with some limited physical hardship. But the devices used in the Middle Ages were truly frightening to behold, and there were more than a few people in those days who enjoyed conjuring the most gruesome devices. The pole was then raised upright and the victim was left to slide further down the pole by his or her own weight. It could take the victim three days to die. Vlad did this to between 2. It is said he enjoyed having a meal while watching impalements. Top 10 Worst Medieval Torture Devices and Methods The Middle Ages were truly not for the faint of heart. Most people were peasants and dirt poor.The victim’s anus or vagina would be placed over the point of the pyramid- shaped cradle, then lowered on it by ropes. The intended effect was to stretch the orifice over a long period of time, or to slowly impale. This torture could last anywhere from a few hours to complete days. The device was rarely washed, so the victim could also be plagued with a painful infection. The victim was placed inside a metal cage roughly made in the shape of the human body. Torturers could force overweight victims into a smaller device, or even make the . The cage was frequently hung from a tree or a gallows. Sometimes onlookers would throw rocks and other objects to further increase the pain. It consisted of a wooden frame usually with two ropes fixed to the bottom and another two tied to a handle in the top. As the torturer turned the handle, the ropes would pull the victim's arms, eventually dislocating bones with a loud crack. Discover The Museum of Medieval Torture in San Gimignano, Italy: Medieval Techniques with a Modern Conscience. Medieval Archers Employing one of the most efficient weapons of the Middle Ages, the Medieval Archers were for centuries that corps of an army capable to decide. Torture in the Middle Ages. Tools resembling nut crackers could also inflict significant pain when applied to. The 25 Most Unimaginable Medieval Torture Devices! If the torturer kept turning the handles (they often went too far) some of the limbs were torn right off the body. Spikes were added that penetrated the victim's back when he or she were forced to lie on table. As the limbs were pulled apart, so was the spinal cord, increasing not only the physical pain, but the psychological pain of knowing that, even if he or she were to survive, mobility of any kind would be lost forever. It was usually used for women accused of conducting abortions or of adultery. They were then pulled to rip off or shred the breasts. Castration (also known as gonadectomy) is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which an individual loses use of the testicles. Surgical castration is. This Week at Oddee Today 0 views 10 Awesome Resumes That Are Not On Paper Yesterday 0 views 10 More Hilarious 2016 Presidential Debate Memes And. If the victim wasn't killed she would be scarred for life as her breasts were literally torn apart. The victim's breasts were fixed to the claws and the woman was pulled by the torturer away from the wall, removing or mutilating them. This was a brutal punishment that often resulted in the victim's death. The pear- shaped instrument was inserted into one of the victim's orifices: the vagina for women, the anus for homosexuals and the mouth for liars and blasphemers. The device would tear the skin at the very least or expand to mutilate the victim’s orifice. It could dislocated or break the jawbones. Pears of Anguish still in existence are lavishly engraved or adorned to differentiate between the anal, vaginal and oral pears. This torture rarely brought death, but was often followed by other torture methods. The victim's limbs were tied to the spokes of a large wooden wheel. The wheel was then slowly revolved while the torturer smashed the victims’ limbs with an iron hammer, breaking them in many places. Sometimes the wheel was placed on a tall pole so birds could pick and eat the flesh of the still- living human. It could take up to two or three days for him to die of dehydration. It was a cheap way to torture and kill a victim accused of witchery, adultery, murder, blasphemy or even theft. This ensured that the victim maintained consciousness for as long as possible, it slowed the loss of blood and caused maximum humiliation. The torture could last several hours. The chin was placed over a bottom bar and the head under an upper cap. The torturer slowly turned the screw, pressing the bar against the cap. The head was then slowly compressed, first shattering the teeth into the jaw, then a slow death with agonizing pain. Some variants of this device included small containers that received the eyeballs as they were squeezed out of the victims’ eye sockets. It was a vice- like instrument with sharp spikes outfitted on both sides of the grip. As the torturer turned the handle, the claws slowly squeezed against each other mutilating and penetrating the skin and bones of the knee. Although its use rarely resulted in death, the effect was to render the knees completely useless. It was also used on other body parts including elbows, arms and even the lower legs. Some claws were heated beforehand to maximize pain - others had dozens of small claws that penetrated the flesh slowly and painfully. He is also a teacher of English as a second language. You can read his blog at http: //blog. Scary Old School Surgical Tools. A quick glance at our gallery of some of history’s gnarliest surgical tools will definitely make you thankful for just how far our industry has progressed throughout time. Browse through images and descriptions of surgical tools dating as far back as the 1. You might think your HMO plan is scary, but at least it doesn’t use these vintage surgical instruments. By the 1. 80. 0s, straight knives became more popular because they made it easier to leave a flap of skin that could be used to cover the exposed stump. Amputation Saw (1. While some surgeons chose to flaunt their wealth with elaborately decorated saws like this, the crevices in the intricate engravings proved to be a breeding ground for germs. Arrow Remover (1. Not much is known about this tool, but it is hypothesized that it was inserted into the wound in a contracted position, with the central shaft used to grasp the arrow. The blades, which appear to have their sharp edges facing outward, were then expanded using the scissor- like handles, thus expanding the flesh around the arrow to prevent the arrowhead from ripping through the meat as it was pulled out. Artificial Leech (1. Bloodletting with leeches was such a popular treatment for a range of medical conditions that an artificial leech was invented in 1. The rotating blades would cut a wound in the patient’s skin, while the cylinder would be used to produce a vacuum that sucked up the blood. Bullet Extractor (1. Elongated bullet extractors could reach bullets embedded deeply in the patient’s body. Extractors like this one had a screw tip that could be inserted in the wound and lengthened to pierce the bullet so that it could be pulled out. Cervical Dilator (1. This instrument was used to dilate a woman’s cervix during labor, with the amount of dilation measured on the scale by the handle. Such dilators fell out of favor because they often caused the cervix to tear. Circumcision Knife (1. Ritual circumcision is performed around the world in varying extents and for varying reasons, but few instruments used in the process are as intimidating as this European knife from the 1. Ecraseur (1. 87. 0s) This ecraseur was used to sever hemorrhoids and uterine or ovarian tumors. The chain was looped over the mass and tightened using the ratchet, stopping the circulation of blood to the area. Hemorrhoid Forceps (1. These forceps were used to grasp a hemorrhoid between the blades and apply pressure to stop the blood supply, causing the hemorrhoid to drop off. Hernia Tool (1. 85. This unique tool was used after the restoration of a hernia. It was inserted into the body near the affected area and left there for a week to produce scar tissue that would help seal off the hernia. Hirtz Compass (1. The Hirtz compass was used to accurately determine where bullets were located in the body so that they could then be removed with precision. Hysterotome/Metrotome (1. This hysterotome or metrotome was used to amputate the cervix during a hysterectomy. Lithotome (1. 74. This lithotome was used to cut the bladder in order to remove stones. The shaft contained a hidden blade that was inserted into the bladder and then released using a spring handle. Mouth Gag (1. 88. This wooden, screw- shaped mouth gag would be inserted into an anesthetized patient’s mouth to keep the airway open. Scarificator (1. 91. Scarificators were used in bloodletting. The spring- loaded blades in this device would cut into the skin, and a special rounded glass cup could be applied over the wound. When warmed, it would help draw the blood out at a faster rate. Skull Saw (1. 83. This hand- cranked saw’s blades were used to cut through sections of the skull, allowing for access by other instruments. Tobacco Smoke Enema (1. The tobacco enema was used to infuse tobacco smoke into a patient’s rectum for various medical purposes, primarily the resuscitation of drowning victims. A rectal tube inserted into the anus was connected to a fumigator and bellows that forced the smoke towards the rectum. The warmth of the smoke was thought to promote respiration, but doubts about the credibility of tobacco enemas led to the popular phrase “blow smoke up one’s ass.”Tonsil Guillotine (1. This method of removing tonsils worked much like a traditional guillotine, slicing off the infected tonsils. This “double guillotine” design meant that both tonsils could be removed at the same time. Tonsil guillotines were replaced by forceps and scalpels in the early 2. Trephine (1. 80. 0s) This trephine was a hand- powered drill with a cylindrical blade that was used to bore into the skull. The spike in the center was used to start the procedure and to hold the blade in place while cutting. Vaginal Speculum (1. Specula have been used for thousands of years to allow doctors better vision and access to the vaginal area (or other body cavities) by expanding after insertion. This 1. 7th century European example, which appears to use a cranking motion to expand, is more ornate and intimidating than most.
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