We all know by now how sick and twisted the human species can be so I've put together 6 of the most gruesome torture techniques from throughout the ages.
6. The Judas Cradle
Judas Cradle began being used in the 16th century Spain. It consisted of a pyramid shaped wooden device and the victim was placed on the top of the pyramid. His or her hands and legs would be tied so that the weight could not be shift elsewhere. The feet were actually tied with each other with the purpose of increasing the pain whenever there was a movement of feet. The pointed edge of the pyramid was slowly inserted in the anus or vagina of the victim and the torture could continue from a few hours to entire days. The time, however, also varied from victim to victim depending on various factors other than their own ability to bear the pain. For instance, sometimes a weight was added to the victim’s legs which increased the pain but also resulted in quick death. Other times, oil was put on the device which again increased the pain.
5. Rat Torture
Rat torture was popular in both medieval Germany and ancient China. In this method, a pot of hungry rats would be placed against to the belly of the victim. As the pot was slowly heated, the distressed rats would gnaw through anything in their way.
4. The Breast Ripper
Came about at around the 1590's of Germany and France and lasted til the 19th century. The Breast Ripper was often used heated during torture and it contained four claws, which were used to slowly rip the breasts from women for various crimes. The instrument would be imposed onto a single breast of the woman. They were designed to shred, or tear off the breasts of the victim.
3. The Rack
The rack was first used in antiquity and it is unclear exactly from which civilisation it originated, though some of the earliest examples are from Greece. The rack is a torture device consisting of a rectangular, usually wooden frame, slightly raised from the ground, with a roller at one or both ends. The victim's ankles are fastened to one roller and the wrists are chained to the other. As the interrogation progresses, a handle and ratchet mechanism attached to the top roller are used to very gradually retract the chains, slowly increasing the strain on the prisoner's shoulders, hips, knees, and elbows and causing excruciating pain. By means of pulleys and levers this roller could be rotated on its own axis, thus straining the ropes until the sufferer's joints were dislocated and eventually separated. Additionally, if muscle fibres are stretched excessively, they lose their ability to contract, rendering them ineffective. One gruesome aspect of being stretched too far on the rack is the loud popping noises made by snapping cartilage, ligaments or bones.
2. Saw Torture
A style of punishment which was popular in medieval Europe, as well as some Asian countries.This was a form of execution in which a living person was sawed in half, either longitudinally or transversely, through the central body mass.
1. The Brazen Bull
The design dates back to ancient Greece and was in use all the way up to the 500 A.D.’s. The Bull is made out of brass and shaped like a bull. It is hollow on the inside with a hatch allowing for the victim to be securely locked inside. A fire is set under the bull and the man inside slowly roasts to death, sometimes a horn is fitted into the mouth of The Bull which turns screams into a sound resembling that of a bull’s bellow.
Brazen Bull is my favorite. Nice work.