Medieval Torture Techniques

The infliction of severe pain (physical and mental) on a person is termed as torture. In medieval times, several techniques were being used for torture. These medieval torture techniques for punishing prisoners could be termed as one of the most brutal/cruel methods of execution.

Medieval Torture
Criminal or social offenses in medieval times were subject to various kinds of tortures. Torture techniques were also used in obtaining information from prisoners. During the period between 1231-1542 AD, torture as a method of punishment was being used to its maximum.

Torture Techniques
The torture techniques used in medieval times made use of various devices to torture the victims. The use of these devices were being made to inflict maximum pain. Few of the many gruesome techniques used in medieval times are explained in the paragraphs below.

Use of Racks
The use of rack was made to give painful death to the victim. It involved dislocating the joints of a person's body by turning a handle. The wooden frame of the rack consisted of 2 ropes at the bottom as well as at the top (attached to a handle). The arms of the victim would be tied to the ropes and the handle turned to crush the body joints. The arm joints would get dislocated with the handle being turned. The hands would be totally ripped off, if the handle was being turned without stopping it. Later on, spikes were added to the rack in order to make the death even more painful.

Torture on Breaking Wheel
The Breaking Wheel was one of the medieval torture devices used to torture the victim for a long time. Bones of the limb joints were broken with the help of hammers while the victim laid on the revolving Breaking Wheel. The victims were left to die after their bones were being hammered and crushed. The reason behind putting the victim on the wheel was to allow birds to eat his flesh. Mercy killing in this torture technique involved the use of hammer in striking on the chest. It would kill the victim instantly, without causing suffering for a long time.

Splitting the Knees
Knee splitter was one of the medieval torture tools used by the Spanish Inquisition. The knee splitter had a vice-like frame with a grip having spikes on both sides. The tool was operated with the help of a handle. Knees of the victim were placed in the grip of the tool and the handle turned to cause pain slowly. As the spikes squeezed into the skin and bones, the knee joints were rendered useless. The arms, lower legs and elbows too were squeezed in such splitters.

Coffin Torture
This technique of torture involved use of a metal cage. The metal cage was made in the shape of human body and victims were forced into them. The cage would then be hung from gallows or trees. This would allow animals and birds to eat the victim's flesh.

Crocodile Shears
If a person tried to assassinate the king, he was treated with crocodile shears. The design of crocodile shears resembled that of jaws of the crocodile, lined with spikes. This torture tool was used to mutilate body parts.

Pillory Torture
A wooden frame which has holes for hands and head, pillory was used to tie the victim and present them before the public to face their anger. The technique was used in medieval times to torture the victim publicly. This torture technique was similar to flagellation used by the army. In this torture technique, the victim was left defenseless to face wrath of the public. People threw stones and heavy objects at the victim.

The medieval torture techniques involved far more savage and barbaric ways of killing a person. Few of them are mentioned in the article above.