Torture has been a
common theme when we take the history of brutality into consideration. Time and
again, humans have found unique ways to torture their counter parts just
because they were consumed with power, ego and money.
From religious genocides to treating people
like animals, innocent people have faced a lot in the past. All we can do is
hope that by learning more about the past, people can learn from the mistakes
of their ancestors.
Here
are some of the brutal torture technique ever used in the history of mankind:
The
Rack
The Rack was considered as one of the most
gruesome torture techniques in the medieval times. It was a wooden rack with
two ropes on top and another two on the bottom that were used to tie victim’s
hands and legs.
Once the victim was fixed on the rack and
couldn’t move, the torturer would start turning the handle which in turn would
pull the rope nearer to the edges. The handle was turned till the victim was so
stretched out that all of his limbs were dislocated.
And that did not even stop the torturers;
they would keep turning till they were convinced there was no functional bone
left in the victim’s body.
Tongue
Tearer
This metal device was also heavily used
during the medieval times by kings’ guards to get rid of anyone who spoke
against the king. First the mouth of the victim was fixed open, and then this
device, which looked like a big pair of scissors was used to dissect and tore
out the victim’s tongue.
Rat
Torture
Rat torture has to be one of the most
sadist forms of torture, and it’s not about leaving someone trapped with rats
in a room, it’s even worse. This method takes ordinary torture to a whole
another level.
The victim was first laid down and tied so
that he couldn’t move even if he wanted to, then a cage with one side open was
kept over him. First, a big rodent was put inside the cage and the side
opposite to the victim was heated with a device. The rodent, going by his
instincts, would try to escape the heat by borrowing inside the victim’s body.
Some torturers used this mechanism to kill their victims, while others just
used it to torture victims every day.
The
Chair of Torture
Also known as the Judas Chair, this chair
was introduced in medieval ages, and was used by kingdoms in Europe till the
1800s. The chair was made of metal and every surface of the chair was filled
with spikes, most of them had 500 to 1500 spikes.
Heating elements could also be used beneath
the chair to heat it up, since the chair was made up of metal, it hardly took
any time to get the spikes heated up. This chair was mostly used for getting
out confessions from the victims.
Cemented
Shoes
This method of torture was used by American
crime mafia to get rid of their traitors, spies or enemies. The victim was
first made to stand inside cinder blocks which was then filled up with wet
cement. After the cement dried up, the victim was thrown into the sea or a deep
water body, and was left to die.
Republican
Marriage
During the French Revolution, Jean-Baptiste
Carrier was known for using torturous techniques to kill those who spoke
against him. As if burning people at the stake and guillotine wasn’t enough,
Carrier thought of a different way to kill large number of people together.
He would tie up naked bodies of men and
women and then throw them into an icy river to drown. If the waters weren’t
available, his guards use swords to kill the people after tying them up.
Carrier often used this method during his time to execute priests and nuns.
Hanged,
Drawn and Quartered
This method was used in the British Kingdom to kill
people accused of treason. In this method, the victims were first hanged on a
wooden plank till they neared their death, then they were removed from the
hanging rope, their genetilia was drawn and burnt in front of them. To kill the
victim, his body was divided in four pieces. This form of punishment was
abolished in 1814.