Description
The medieval world was filled with innovative and painful methods to torture people for crimes. There is enough evidence to support that gruesome and often times unimaginable devices were used to inflict extremely painful death. Here are top 5 most gruesome methods of torture during that time
1. Dunking: a form of corporal punishment used majorly in the 17th century Europe. Dunking is exactly what the name suspects. The victim is submerged into cold water and removed out of it just before drowning. This method is most often depicted as used to torture suspected witches. This method may not seem that bad but the point to be noticed is that the victim has no control over when they are taken out of water. They could be running out of breath or even at the verge of drowning.
2. The Breaking Wheel: also known as execution wheel, it was a mirror punishment for highwaymen and street thieves. The breaking wheel is a wagon wheel with teeth or cogs, onto which victim is tied so that their limbs rest between the cogs. The torturer then takes a hammer or a bat and begins to smash different limbs of the victim. After the victim is dead, the wheel is raised upon a shaft for the audience to see.
3. Flaying: a method which Game of Thrones fans would be familiar with. Flaying is colloquially known as skinning to death. It is a method of slow and painful death in which skin is removed from the body. Usually an attempt was made to keep the removed portion of skin intact. All this is done as the person is 100% conscious.
4. The Rack: The rack was a classic torture device used by the spaniards. The victim is tied to a wooden structure featuring a system of cranks. As the cranks are turned, the ropes holding the victim tightens and victim's limbs are stretched till the break and tear apart.
5. Rat Torture: It is the use of rats to torture the victim by encouraging the rat to attack and eat the victim alive. First the victim is bound to a table or a rack. Next a rat is placed on his chest. Then a bucket is placed over the rat and onto the victim's body so that the rat is trapped and can not escape the targeted area. Finally a fire is placed on top of the bucket and rat begins to panic and attempts to escape. The rat then burrows through victim's chest and quickly gnaws its way into victims bowels causing pain of unimaginable degrees.
