Torture equipment has been around for centuries. Devices were built to do extreme psychological harm as well as painful physical damage by way of slow, deliberate bloodshed. Believe it or not, torture is still used today although it is against the Geneva Convention and every human rights campaign. Torture was used to punish, interrogate, coerce and kill people who disobeyed laws, or were detractors of popular religious beliefs of the time.

Classic horror movies use a variety weapons to dispatch victims. But below are some devices that could be incorporated into future horror movies. Modern times allows movie’s special effects departments to figure out ways to slaughter people in fantasy, keeping the carnage where it belongs; in fiction.

Breast Ripper: The Breast Ripper was a device used on adulterous women, the end was heated by fire, and then each claw pierced the soft tissue, spreading apart the flesh to tear and shred the breast away from the body.

 

Knee Splitter: The Spanish Inquisition was a popular time when a lot of torture devices were used. The Knee Splitter was a wooden frame that had a number of spikes in a vice-like contraption. The spikes were placed in front of, and behind the knee. Once the legs were in place the torturer would crank the spikes down on the leg until they pierced the skin and splintered, crushed and eviscerated the bone and soft tissue.

 

The Judas Cradle: This device had victims sit atop a large wooden pyramid shaped tower. The end of the pyramid would be inserted into the anus or vagina and the victim was slowly lowered until the end penetrated through the intended orifice. This would cause internal damage, ripping apart tissue and muscle, leaving the victim to die of infection or impalement.

 

Heretic’s Fork: This two-ended skewer contained forks on each end of the device. One end was placed on the chest bone while the other was positioned under the chin. The goal was to have the sharp metal prongs pierce the underside of the jaw and skewer the tongue and mouth if the victims head dropped from exhaustion.

 

Spanish Donkey: This saw-horse shaped device contained a large triangular board, sometimes with small spikes attached to the top two sides of the A-shape frame. The victim was then to sit atop the edge and was often paraded around town. The damage to genitalia was extremely messy.

 

The Pear of Anguish: This device seems to be the precursor to the alien anal probe. It had a smooth bulbous end which was inserted into the anus, vagina or mouth. It was then cranked in order to “bloom” the pear inside the body where sharp edges and metal pedals would rupture the delicate insides of the human anatomy.

 

The Scavengers Daughter: During the reign of Henry the VIII, the Scavengers Daughter was a popular torment. A large metal hoop was used to encase the victim at the knees and back. Slowly the device was tightened in order to squeeze the person until blood flowed from the mouth, nose and other orifices.

 

The Iron Maiden: This mythical device is reported to have never been actually used. It is said that device was constructed from other items and put on display for pure entertainment. Either way, the device is terrifying. A person would stand in an iron cabinet with large metal spikes lining the back of the device and on the inside of the front door. As the victim stood inside the Maiden, the door was closed, forcing the individual to step back and impale himself while the spikes penetrated him from the front. Some variations of the device have a head piece that contains two large metal spikes positioned at eye-level, when this head is closed, the spikes pierce into the skull through the eye sockets.

 

The Saw: The Middle Ages didn’t need elaborate contraptions like The Iron Maiden to execute people. Often, innovations were merely a workshop away. Take The Saw for instance, this device strung people upside down with ropes as the persecutors utilized a giant saw to bisect the victim down the middle.

 

Although torture was a very real aspect of our history, today we can allow horror movies to reveal the brutal truths of our human nature. Violence may always be a part of the experience, but we as horror movie fans understand the difference between art and reality. If history shows us anything, it is how much we have evolved and become more civilized. We can enjoy the terror of bloodshed in the form of fiction and fantasy, rather than perpetuate the atrocities of our ancestors. It is comforting to know that the above 9 devices can now be appreciated by way of a special effects prop department, rather than their intended use in the real world.