Chilling Last Words Echo Through Time During Barbaric Medieval Torture — What Did the Victim Say?
Ever wonder just how insanely wicked human creativity can get when it comes to medieval torture? Spoiler alert: it was bonkers—and not in a fun way. Back in the day, folks got downright inventive trying to squeeze confessions out of the unwilling, using everything from rats nibbling at your skin to metal clamps that practically screamed “ouch.” And if you thought roasting alive was just a modern-day horror gig, Greek legends remind us otherwise with their infamous bronze bulls. Honestly, diving into this gruesome history makes you appreciate the fact that these days, courts actually use evidence and testimonies instead of turning someone into a human pancake under piles of stones. Speaking of which, there’s this gnarly torture method called Peine forte et dure that’ll make you cringe—imagine having heavy stones stacked on your chest until you crack or, well, just flat out die. Ready to cringe and marvel at humanity’s twisted past? LEARN MORE
Medieval torture methods were no joke and it makes you wonder about just how twisted the human mind can get.
Societies used to get really creative when it came to trying to pry information out of unwilling individuals, regardless of how gruesome they may look.
Anything from rodents to metal clamps were used to administer pain to suspected guilty parties, with Greek legend even suggesting that bronze bulls were used to effectively roast someone alive while they were trapped inside.
But the more people do research into our history, the more we uncover about our disturbing past.
We’re lucky that we live in a time where courts of law use evidence, testimonies and witnesses to sentence suspected criminals, instead of a painstaking torture device to try and force a confession out of it.
Your insides could be destroyed by the method (YouTube/ZackDFilms)
Another method has come under the spotlight on social media, and it’s called Peine forte et dure.
The complex-sounding form of torture and execution was extremely popular in the UK, when a defendant refusing to enter a plea was punished for doing so with physical pain.
It would be used to force the defendant into a plea so a trial could proceed, in a time where some thought refusing to plead was more or less a protest against the power of the court.
The method consisted of a wooden board being placed on the individual’s chest with heavier stones being placed on it until they entered a plea or died.
‘Peine forte et dure’ translates to ‘hard and forceful punishment’ from Law French, an archaic language, but if you can’t visualise the pain one would have to endure under the rocks, take a look at this simulation from YouTuber Zack D. Films:
The pressure placed on your ribs and organs were to the point where they could be crushed as your arms and legs were stretched out to the sides and restrained.
Breathing would get more difficult as the weight increased over hours or days, but people recalled the famous last words of one man when he was accused of witchcraft in 1692.
Giles Corey was subjected to Peine forte et dure by Sheriff George Corwin in Salem Town, Massachusetts.
But legend says he didn’t cry out in pain as rocks were placed on the boards, as two days into the torture, he was asked to enter a plea but every time they brought it up, he reportedly replied: “More weight.”
The authorities complied, with the Sheriff even stepping on the stones himself from time to time.
Corey’s last words would go down in folklore (YouTube/ZackDFilms)
Taking to the comments, one user wrote: “‘More weight’ is a cold line.”
Another said: “‘MORE WEIGHT!’ -The rawest line in the Crucible.”
A third user added: “Humanity’s capability/creativity for torture methods is something out of this world.”
And someone else pointed out: “Feel bad for the people who were innocent and got forced to plead guilty or die.”
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