Torture Vs Medieval Torture

The medieval era brought a time of unruly judgment and confused leadership, which consequently led to unfair and morally wrong punishments of those who committed crimes and wrong doings. With a loose power over the people and no laws protecting them from punishment, the people were afraid and reasonably so. The preferred discipline consisted of the use of various types of torture devices. Often times, castles were equipped with torture chambers used to inflict unrighteous judgment upon the victim. In many cases the punishment did not always fit the severity of the crime. Even now in a world where we find killing and torturing entertaining via video games, movies, etc. we cannot fully comprehend the gruesome and horrific acts afflicted …show more content…
In this they would put the accused in a tight open coffin and hung them in the air where angry locals mocked and abused them which often lead to death. Officials would put over weight citizens into tight coffins and smaller citizens into slightly larger coffins to make them more uncomfortable. Rat Torture was one of the more gruesome punishments used as torture. In this punishment the victims were strapped down horizontally and a rat was placed on their chest. They then put a metal bucket over the rat and strapped that to their chest. The tortures began to add heat, usually via torch, which heated the metal bucket. A rat's instinct is to get away from the heat and the only way to do that is to dig through the chest of the victim. This could take hours depending on the size and speed of the rat. An inventor from Athens, Perillos thought they needed a more painful way to punish the prisoners so he invented the Brazen Bull. This Bull made out of brass had a door where they would throw in a tied victim. They would then heat the bottom of the bull which would cook and roast the victim with no escape. Sadly to test this method, Perillos had to try his own invention which ended in his death. The Lead Sprinkler was a quick form of torture with painful …show more content…
Trials were the most common way for an accusal. These Trials were grueling tasks that must be completed with certain requirements to pass as innocent. The most famous Trials were the Trials by Cold Water, Hot Water, Hot Iron, and Host. The Trial by Cold Water was a task where the defendant would take a sip of holy water and then thrown into a freezing water. If they sank then the water had “accepted” the person and they then are considered innocent. If the person stayed afloat however, that showed that the holy water had repelled them and were guilty. The logic was that holy water only attracts the innocent and repels the guilty. The Trial by Hot Water was that of great pain. In this test of innocence, a cauldron full of water was boiled. The officials would then throw a stone into the bottom of the cauldron and let it sit. The goal was to reach into the bottom and retrieve the stone. If they showed sign of serious burn then they were guilty because the grace and protection of God had not been with them. The next common Trial, the Trial by Hot Iron was the condemned victim was forced to carry a piece of hot iron, ranging from at least one pound in weight to a weight decided by the officials, nine feet measured by their own feet. If they came out with burns and marks then they were guilty. The final Trial was a Trial more for the priests, the Trial by