About Spanish Inquisition Torture Devices
Although many people picture the elaborate and expansive views of the Inquisition torturing thousands of innocent people for heresy with painful instruments ranging in size and complexity, the Spanish Inquisition's torture devices have been found to be much more simplistic than originally thought. The people punished did experience excruciating pain and often death, but the collection of tools was much more limited.
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The Facts
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In an effort to keep orthodox Christianity as Spain's religion and test the sincerity of converts from Islam and Judaism, the monarchy set up a tribunal. With reluctant support from the Pope, the Inquisition became a way to torture heretics and non-believers with various devices and means at their disposal.
The Inquisition saw the creation and usage of some of the world's most grueling and painful torture devices, designed to elicit confessions from people at the same time as administering the most atrocious mutilations and physical discomforts imaginable. Death was usually the end result, but the Inquisition specialized in extending the torture for as long as possible, pushing the bounds of human endurance.
Type
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The most prevalent types of torture were stappado, waterboarding, and the rack. Stappado suspended a criminal with weights on the ankles as he was repeatedly lifted and dropped, stretching the arms and legs. Waterboarding involved forced ingestion of water to the point of near drowning. The rack is the most famous device, strapping a person to a board and stretching his arms and legs to the point of dislocation and possible removal.
Other devices included the Spanish tickler, a long rod with spikes used to remove skin and muscle, and the Spider, a claw that would forcibly remove a woman's breast.
Some of the more colorful instruments included the Heretic's Fork, which stabbed below, immobilizing the head until the victim confessed, and the Judas Chair, which was a pyramid placed under a suspended individual's anus as they were slowly lowered.
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Time Frame
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The Inquisition was established in 1478 at the behest of Queen Isabella I and focused heavily on Jews. The 1500s saw increased attacks on Protestants and Muslims, leading to all out censorship of other religions and books.
With the French Revolution and the coming of the Enlightenment, torture declined, and leadership in organized heresy trials gave way to political reforms. Finally, the Inquisition was officially abolished in 1834 by Isabella II.
Misconceptions
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The extent of the torture and actual devices used has changed according to historians over the years. Despite Hollywood's grand exaggeration of the Inquisition, most people charged with heresy who confessed were simply given penance or a fine.
Many of the devices assumed to be of use, such as thumb screws and the Iron Maiden, were either not invented yet or not used in Spain.
Historians believe much of the confusion stems from Protestant and Jewish writings at the time. Records from the Vatican and other sources indicate only 2 to 3 percent of those tried were executed.
Effects
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Due to the incredible accuracy and completeness of the documentation from the time period, many scholars believe that society has reached a point of disgust with torture.
Although, still a fact in today's world, the brutality of the era has generally given way to more methodical and psychological forms of inflicting pain.
With a trial estimates of 40,000 to 150,000, the Inquisition was instrumental in the Geneva Convention's establishment of a ban on torture.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Florida Holocaust Museum
