Medieval Torture
The Judas Cradle
The Judas Cradle was used by medieval torturers to acquire information from their victims. The victim was hung above a dirty and infectious pyramid and would be either repeatedly dropped or rocked on it. Should they refuse to talk, the torture was continued; more weight was often added to increase the pain. Eventually the victim would die, however, they were often raised at night to prolong the pain.
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The Rack
The Rack is considered to be the most painful form of medieval torture. The victim's arms and legs are tied to ropes at the top and bottom of the apparatus. The torturer then turns a lever that causes the victim's extremities to gradually be dislocated and eventually torn off. Often times this physical torture was paired with psychological torture as the victim's were forced to watch those who went before them.
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Dunking
Dunking is a form of interrogation in which the victim is lowered on a chair into a bucket of water. When the victim is on the verge of unconsciousness the torturer will raise them to prevent them from passing out. This interrogation method was most often used on suspected witches, but was occasionally used to force a criminal confession.
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