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Portrait of medieval bearded pirate holding sword and gun.  Source: Oulaphone/Adobe Stock

The Horrifying Torture Methods Used By Pirates… (Video)

In the grim era of the 1600s, humanity bore witness to a dark chapter marked by massacres, persecution, and cruelty. The so-called Golden Age of Piracy unfolded amid this brutality, with pirates...
Susanna and the Elders, by Artemisia Gentileschi in 1610. Source: Public domain

Artemisia Gentileschi Used Art To Avenge Her Rape

Since the 1970s, the work of Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi has seen a surge in popularity due to her unique perspective as a female artist of the 17th century. Artemisia Gentileschi...
The Man in the Iron Mask. Source: Igor Normann / Adobe Stock

The True Story of the Man in the Iron Mask

L'Homme au Masque de Fer (the French for “The Man in the Iron Mask”) is the name given to a prisoner arrested in about 1669 and condemned to the cruel fate of having his head clamped within an iron...
Pressing execution. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Weird History.

Pressing: One of History's Most Painful Deaths (Video)

Throughout history Europeans have come up with some of the most excruciating and slowest methods of torture . Of them all pressing to death might just be the worst. Dating back to the 13th century in...
Punishment in ancient Japan was brutal. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Crazy Histories.

Shocking Punishments in Ancient Japan! (Video)

Medieval Japan , often romanticized for its samurai culture, had a dark side characterized by brutal punishment and oppression. Peasants faced a grim fate in a society dominated by samurai overlords...
Medieval soldier eating junk food. Source: master1305 / Adobe Stock.

What Medieval Junk Food Was Like (Video)

Medieval Europe's fast food, born out of necessity, offers a glimpse into a different culinary era . Cook shops along London's bustling Thames provided hot meals for travelers and the impoverished ...
Medieval stocks. Source: Arkady Chubykin / Adobe Stock.

What It Was Like to Be in the Stocks? (Video)

During Medieval times stocks and pillories were employed as forms of punishment , the experience for those confined in them was far from pleasant. Stocks, restraining the feet, and pillories, which...
Medieval torture device, the rack. Source: Bildergarage / Adobe Stock.

Anne Askew - Stretched on the Rack Until Her Tendons Snapped (Video)

In a turbulent era under Henry VIII's rule, Anne Askew's tale unfolds as a beacon of unwavering courage in the face of oppression. Born into privilege, she embraced Protestant beliefs and shared her...
Left; Representational image of the torture endured by Anabaptists whose bodies were displayed in Münster’s famed metal cages. Right; The three cages hanging from Münster Gothic Church of St. Lambert.  Source: Left; Dawn / Adobe Stock, Right; Rüdiger Wölk, Münster/CC BY-SA 2.5

Münster’s Hanging Cages Provide a Chilling Reminder of Religious Intolerance

If you ever find yourself in Münster, Germany, be sure to visit the Gothic Church of St. Lambert on the main market square. Three metal cages hanging off the church spire serve as a 16th-century...
Martyr of Fanaticism by José de Brito depicts a young woman being tortured during the Spanish Inquisition. Source: Public domain

The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II)

One of the most controversial organizations in history, the Spanish Inquisition has been poorly understood by the general public. This period of religious persecution, which took place between 1478...
Roman mosaic being excavated at the villa of Publius Vedius Pollio at Posillipo. Source: University of Naples "L'Orientale"

Roman Mosaic Unearthed in Ancient Slave Monster’s Villa

At a luxury seaside villa at Posillipo near Naples, researchers have unearthed an ancient Roman mosaic which once decorated the home of a horrific and horrendous Roman tyrant known as Publius Vedius...
The drunkard's cloak on display at the Torture Museum in Bruges. Source: Dimitris Kamaras / CC BY 2.0

Wearing the Drunkard’s Cloak Was the Worst Hangover in History

After a night of drinking, few things are worse than a heinous hangover. Or so I thought! For during the early modern era, heavy drinkers were faced with a far worse punishment. Those guilty of...
A Scold’s Bridle used in Medieval Poland. Source: Fotokon / Adobe Stock

Scold’s Bridles: 12 Torturous and Humiliating Shame Masks of the Middle Ages (In Pics)

There was no end to medieval creativity when it came to torture , punishment and humiliation! The ‘scold’s bridle’ or ‘mask of shame’ was a concept developed in medieval Europe to punish people,...
Historic illustration of execution by elephant. Source: Pixaterra / Adobe Stock

Execution by Elephant Was a Brutal Form of Capital Punishment For 2,000 Years

Elephants are one of the smartest and most powerful animals in the world. It is no wonder then that these magnificent beasts were exploited and trained to be brutal executioners. Death by elephant is...
Representation of a ritual human sacrifice on an altar. Source: archangelworks / Adobe Stock

Blood for the Gods: 10 Cultures that Engaged in Ritual Sacrifice

Since the dawn of humanity, countless civilizations have engaged in ritual sacrifice. Often, these sacrifices involved other humans, and were so common they were considered a normal aspect of life...
A drawing of a flayed corpse, the fate of Marco Antonio Bragadin at Famagusta in 1571. Source: Wellcome Images / CC BY 4.0

Marco Antonio Bragadin Was Flayed and his Skin Kept as a Trophy

Tales of massacres, sieges and sadistic executions are common throughout history. Nevertheless, the brutal flaying of Marco Antonio Bragadin, the Venetian commander of Famagusta, and the fall of...
  Demonic Evil Meets Human Evil: When Evil Was Released into the World “There is no good, and there is no evil. There is only the flesh and the patterns to which we submit it.” At least that was one of the things which the character Pinhead was supposed to say according to a proposed script for one of the Hellraiser movies based on the writings of Clive Barker. Even though the line was not used in the film, to a certain extent, there is some truth to that. The dual perspective based on the good-evil distinc

Demonic Evil Meets Human Evil: When Evil Was Released into the World

“There is no good, and there is no evil. There is only the flesh and the patterns to which we submit it.” At least that was one of the things which the character Pinhead was supposed to say according...
Author Details Institutionalized Murder and Violence in Ancient Rome

Author Details Institutionalized Murder and Violence in Ancient Rome

Shocking, disturbing and wholly ungodly methods of murder in ancient Rome have been brought together in a brutally graphic new book. Dr. Emma Southon is a historian at the University of Birmingham in...
The Iron Maiden: This Medieval Torture Device Was Used as Recently as 2003!

The Iron Maiden: This Medieval Torture Device Was Used as Recently as 2003!

The iron maiden is a torture device widely believed to have been used in Europe during the Middle Ages. This notorious contraption is known by other names, such as the Virgin (a reference to the...
Gravensteen Castle in Ghent, Belgium           Source: Kurt De Bruyn / Adobe Stock

Gravensteen Castle: Site of Gruesome Torture and Revolting Students

The historic region of Flanders in Belgium is famous for its many medieval monuments and buildings. These relics date back to an era when the region was a major economic and political center under...
Delphine LaLaurie (Public Domain) and children of slaves in the American South. (Okinawa Soba (Rob)/CC BY NC SA 2.0)

Delphine LaLaurie: A Beautiful Face Masks Evil Deeds

Royal Street of New Orleans’ French Quarter is one of the oldest parts of the city, well-known and liked for the many antique shops, galleries, and sights. It remains a window into the real soul of...
Elizabeth Brownrigg and her family abused their child servants. Source: JPRFphotos / Adobe Stock.

Elizabeth Brownrigg: Child Abuse and Murder in the 18th Century

On the morning of Monday, September 14th, 1767, in the Tyburn Gallows , a 47 year-old Elizabeth Brownrigg stood in a cart awaiting her execution by a noose. So great was the uproar from angry crowds...
Wheel of Torture device. Insert, skeleton of young man wh9 was the victim of torture on the wheel.

Deformed Medieval Man Found Broken By the Wheel of Torture

Archaeologists in Milan have uncovered the shattered remains of a young man believed to have been broken on a wheel of torture. In medieval Italy different methods of torture were assigned depending...
Chamber of torture devices and ancient punishments in Prague Castle

9 Methods of Ancient Punishment That’ll Make You Squirm

For as long as societies have had to deal with crime, they’ve had to deal out punishment. In some, places, and situations the process was only meant to humiliate the guilty, but most of the following...

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