Right now, folks have a solid grasp on human endurance limits, thinking we’re a lot more civilized than those who came before us. But imagine showing a torture device from a hundred years ago to someone from back then. They’d probably cringe and call you heartless.
.jpg)
These torture devices make methods like mock executions look like child’s play in comparison. They’re heinous and horrific by any standard, and many remain in use today in nations where human rights are almost non-existent.
This list explores 25 ancient torture devices that would make anyone confess to anything so that they could stop suffering from the excruciating pain inflicted upon them by the evil people who designed these horrific torture devices.
The Strappado was also used during the Inquisition and a unique way of torturing people. Priests would tie the victim’s hands behind their back and then, using the Strappado, lift and hang them in the air. This would pull their arms up behind their back, likely dislocating them.
As you might imagine, this was painful, but the priests also had two ways to make it worse. The first was to slightly drop the victim and then stop them, making the rope snap a bit. The other way was to hang weights from their ankles.
Used during the Spanish Inquisition, water torture isn’t painful so much as psychologically damaging. The victim would be strapped to a chair where tiny droplets of water would fall on their forehead. Over a long period of time, the anxiety and stress would break the strongest person. MythBusters tested it out and concluded its effectiveness.
Widely used in medieval times, the Stocks were made out of two hinged wooden boards with three holes cut out to fit the head and two arms. Sometimes the feet would also be bound. The torture victim would often be left out in public to be humiliated. On rare occasions, they would die from the elements after being left for days.