The truly horrifying Pear of Anguish.
Medieval England came up with more than its share of punishment devices. Take the Pear of Anguish pictured above. It’s a speculum, basically, with an extendable pointy thing in the middle which may or may not have been spring-shot. It was inserted in any of the victim’s orifices and splayed them open. The spike then shot out and… you get the idea.
Other instruments had picturesque names like the Scavenger’s Daughter, the Spanish Donkey, the Judas Cradle, the Catherine Wheel… and of course the Iron Maiden.
If they survived, victims were maimed for life.
If you’re looking for an imaginary torture device for your work, you can do no better than the randomgenned list below. I’ll leave it to you to figure out what they did.
Torture Devices
| Gamropers
Weasel-ganger The Wife Humbler Gorgon spanker Tight-steamer Belly irons Noggintongs Herring crusher Royal Stone Shagger Button piercer Thigh-tamer Footsnag The Scarlet Madame Earcrimpers Rusty kilt The Heel Tanner Sir Toothy |
Toad-plugger
Toebinder The Pale Flattener Collar-tightener Jolly Mangler Barrel Scalder Loinstretcher The Carousel of Punishment Barrel Weights The Weeping Monk Hand Lancer Skulldimpler Shinmangler Panty-ripper Five-pound stockings Bronze tormenter Scarlet coffin |
