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Just when you thought the horrors were behind you, Mytour brings you ten more gruesome torture devices that will make you squirm. These barbaric tools were once widely used to punish criminals, assert dominance, and instill fear in those deemed wicked or immoral. Keep that meal close—it might not stay down after this. You can read the first list here.
10. Scold’s Bridle
This portable torture device was common in England and Scotland during the 1500s, but remained in use until the 1800s. Known as the scold’s bridle (or branks), this metal cage was fastened around a woman's head to punish her for frequent nagging or gossiping. Attached to the bridle was a plate, which would be inserted into the mouth, effectively silencing her ‘treacherous tongue.’ The plates often featured spikes, varying from half an inch to an inch long. While the shorter spikes caused mild discomfort, the longer ones pierced the tongue, causing it to bleed profusely.
To make matters even worse, some of the curb-plates featured an additional round gag at the end, which, when the device was worn, rested at the back of the mouth, causing irritation to the throat. Some of these gags were fashioned as animal heads, symbolically representing the woman's crime (for instance, a donkey symbolized foolishness).
The scold’s bridle was far from a discreet punishment. Women were paraded through town, held by a leash, so the townsfolk could witness her punishment and mock her for her alleged transgressions. If the public humiliation wasn’t enough, women were often stoned and beaten by the very people who watched.
9. Heretic’s Fork
The heretic’s fork, as the name implies, was most commonly used during the inquisitions. It consisted of a metal rod with prongs at both ends, attached to a leather strap worn around the neck. The top prong was placed just under the chin, while the other prong dug into the sternum, forcing the neck to remain stretched and the head upright at all times. To maximize the suffering, the person was prevented from lying down, often by being suspended from the ceiling or some other painful method of restraint.
Those subjected to the device could only whisper to their tormentors; any attempt to move their jaw would cause the sharp prongs to push deeper into their skin. It was a torture that could be sustained for long periods because neither end punctured a vital organ, and the blood loss was minimal. Ultimately, most victims succumbed to exhaustion and sleep deprivation.
8. Thumbscrew
At first glance, this device may seem deceptively simple, but it was a cruel masterpiece of torment. The victim’s thumbs were placed between two flat metal plates, fastened together by screws. The plates were lined with ridges—either smooth bumps or sharp spikes—that would dig into the thumbs, crushing the bones while trapping the victim’s hands in the unrelenting metal grip. A compact device, but capable of inflicting excruciating pain with minimal effort.
While the thumbscrew might not be as bloody or nightmarish as other devices in this list, imagine the pain of getting your thumb stuck in a door or drawer—then multiply it by a hundred. That’s the type of agony the thumbscrews delivered. Similar devices were also created for use on toes, wrists, elbows, and knees.
7. Tean Zu
If crushing thumbs wasn’t cruel enough, the Chinese tean zu took the same concept and applied it to all the fingers, resulting in an agonizingly slow process. The victim’s fingers were laid flat on a wooden surface, separated by sticks connected to strings. When the prisoner refused to answer questions or provide information, the strings were tightened, closing the device around the fingers and gradually crushing them.
The tean zu was effective for many reasons. It was simple to construct and didn’t require advanced mechanical skill to assemble. The pain caused by crushing the fingers was excruciating, and the process could be repeated endlessly. A victim trapped in the device could endure days of suffering, each round of crushing forcing their bones to crack once again. The damage to their fingers was so severe that, in some cases, the bones would protrude from the skin after multiple crushings.
6. Spanish Spider
Remember the breast ripper? The Spanish spider is a more sinister variation, though with a seemingly gentler name. This device featured long metal claws that were heated and then fixed onto a woman’s breast. As if searing the flesh with hot metal wasn’t cruel enough, the breast would then be violently torn from her chest. This was a punishment for adultery or the willful miscarriage of justice.
Other uses of the Spanish spider were equally barbaric. Victims could be pierced by the heated claws on various parts of their bodies—breasts, belly, or buttocks—and then suspended from the ceiling. The weight of their own bodies caused the wounds to stretch, and bleeding became impossible to stop. Victims typically died hours after being left hanging.
5. Whip
Of all the instruments on this list, the whip is probably the most well-known. Its basic design has been appreciated throughout history, from ancient Rome all the way to the American Civil War (where it was used to punish slaves). Today, the whip continues to be used as a form of punishment in some Islamic and Eastern nations.
There are two primary types of whips: the horsewhip, a flexible stick with a handle, and the traditional whip, a long single strand, typically made of leather, with a firm handle at one end. Variations include the bullwhip (braided leather), the cat o’ nine tails (multiple strands), knout, scourge, and knittles. Some of the strands were tipped with metal or sharp objects to inflict even greater damage.
In addition to its painful purpose, the whip was the first man-made object to break the sound barrier. Yes, you read that right: whips break the sound barrier. Moving at speeds over 760 mph (340 m/s), the crack of a whip is essentially a small sonic boom. These instruments were, and still are in certain places, used for punishment. The strikes were so brutal that pieces of flesh could be torn away, and losing an eye during such beatings was not uncommon. Victims would often lose so much blood that they fell into hypovolemic shock.
4. Garrote
The victim was fastened to a seat, with his back pressed against a flat surface or metal rod. A leather strap, string, or metal band was tied around his neck, which was then attached to a wheel or crank at the back. As the wheel slowly turned, the victim’s neck was gradually crushed, ultimately suffocating him to death. Variations of the garrote included a spike or blade that would pierce the spine, speeding up the process by breaking the neck or severing the spinal cord. The death was quick and silent—ideal traits when you’re facing a crowd of torturers.
While the Spanish refined this device, it was widely used across many cultures. Its final recorded use was in 1975 when a student was executed by garrote, only to later be exonerated.
3. Intestinal Crank
The victim, still conscious, was bound to a table, and an incision was made in his abdomen large enough for the torturer’s hand to fit inside. The small intestine was detached from the stomach with a hook and then connected to a crank. Slowly, the crank would turn, pulling the intestine out, inch by inch. Both the victim and any onlookers would watch in horror as anywhere from 9 to 18 feet (3 to 6 meters) of intestine were wound around the shaft of the crank.
This device was primarily used to extract information from criminals, but once the process began, there was no turning back. Survival was impossible. Victims typically succumbed to a combination of intense pain and excessive blood loss.
2. Impaling Torture
Impaling, at its core, involves driving a sharp object through the body. However, the torture of impaling was far more brutal. Victims would be pierced by a long, splintered stake through various parts of the body—such as the stomach, ribcage, anus, or vagina. An ideally “perfect” impalement would see the stake pierce the entire body, with the sharp end emerging from the mouth.
The most sadistic torturers would position the bodies in a way that ensured the victim wouldn’t die instantly. Multiple stakes were employed to suspend the body, balancing the weight just enough to prevent the person from sliding down. However, any movement or attempt to struggle would drive the stakes deeper into the body, hastening the inevitable death.
1. The Rack
The rack is a wooden frame equipped with rollers at each end. Prisoners were fastened to this apparatus, preventing any movement, as their wrists and ankles were tied to the rollers. The rollers would then turn in opposite directions, stretching the body little by little until the joints dislocated. This method was primarily used to extract confessions or gather information. Often, prisoners had to witness the agony of others enduring the rack, creating a psychological fear before their own turn.
If the prisoner failed to speak, the rollers continued to turn, eventually pulling the arms completely out of their sockets. Some versions of the rack featured nails protruding from the wooden surface, which would puncture the victim’s back. As the body was stretched, these nails would tear at the skin and muscles, intensifying the suffering.
+ Schandmantel
Often referred to as the 'barrel of shame,' the schandmantel was a wooden contraption worn by the individual in public to subject them to ridicule and be pelted with stones. It is believed that the concept behind the schandmantel might have inspired the creation of the iron maiden, a device that was never actually used in history as a method of torture.
