Seeing some images of olden times may seem somewhat cartoonish. Because these events happened a long time ago, they can appear to be overly simplified and unrealistic.
However, what isn’t amusing at all are the implements people used to t*****e and execute convicted criminals during those days. The brutality of these devices alone can make one question how society viewed human rights back then.
We’ve compiled some of them into this list, along with a bit of information about how they worked. Just reading them can scare you off from the mere thought of committing any form of crime. Scroll through to see what I mean.
1: Impalement With Stake, Pole, Spear, Or Hook
Impalement is one of the most gruesome and feared methods of e*******n, designed for maximum suffering. The most infamous version involved forcing a victim onto a large, rounded, and often oiled stake, which was then raised upright. The person’s own weight would slowly drive the pole up through their body, a process that was deliberately designed to miss vital organs and prolong the agony for hours, or even days. It’s most famously associated with Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia, who created entire “forests” of his impaled enemies to terrorize his foes, making it not just a way to end a life, but a horrifying tool of psychological warfare.
2. The Pillory
The pillory was a device used for public punishment, focused more on humiliation than on physical harm. It consisted of a wooden frame with holes for an offender’s head and hands, which officials would lock in place. Stuck in a town square or marketplace, the person was helpless against the crowd, who would often throw garbage, rotten food, and even rocks at them. The real punishment was the intense public shame and social ostracism that followed, though the physical harm from the crowd could sometimes be severe.
3. Goat-Licking Frame
The victim would be restrained, usually in stocks, with their bare feet exposed and covered in saltwater. Then, a thirsty goat would be brought in to lick the salt off. What started as unbearable, maddening ticklishness would eventually turn into pure pain. A goat’s tongue is incredibly rough, and after a while, it would lick the skin right off the feet, leaving them raw and bleeding.