Traveling within the World
Odd Devices of Old
A place to display devices/utensils/tools/weapons of war and torture used through the ages.
above : Wooden acupuncture model, Asia, 1601-1700
In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture aims to improve the flow of qi (chi) or energy in the body by applying needles to specific points on the skin.
Tradition teaches that qi must flow freely through the body's meridians, or channels, to ensure health and well-being. The male figure made of wood shows where needles should be applied to the skin and the meridians through which qi flows.
The Chair of Spikes
The purpose of this device is fairly obvious. The victim is made to site on the chair with the straps tightening to drive the spikes into his or her flesh. Weights could also be used as well as blows with mallets to further the damage. While quite painful, the chair itself was not always immediately fatal. However, infection and tetanus claimed many victims days or weeks after their ordeal.
Dept of PMM Artists & things
Just looking at the "chair" will make a person understand why medieval torture is so terrible. The unlucky victim would be forced to sit down on the chair. The stick that can be seen in the leg-level of the chair has a handle that was intended to push the victim's legs even harder against the tips. If this wasn't enough, a similar device can also be seen for the hands, back and feet.
Even though this torture gives a sense of a quick death; a person could last a day or more sitting on the chair. This way of torture was normally used to make a person confess anything. If he told the truth, he'd be given a quick death. If he refused, the torturer could turn the handle a little bit more, and the victim would feel an indescribable pain.
The victim would be alive until his blood slowly drained out of his body. This took a while because the tips themselves--and the pressure being exerted on the victim--would stop the blood from pouring out rapidly.
This torture wasn't used a lot. In fact, it was rarely used. But when a person was sentenced to it, he'd find a way to prevent it. There are records of people committing suicide before actually being subject to this torture.
Feb 3, 2011