The 10 Worst Medieval Torture Devices

1.

Head Crusher: Fitted with a screw that the executioner would slowly turn until the jaw and skull were shattered, eventually causing the person's eyes to pop out. Fun Fact: This device inspired Megadeath's first single, ''Head Crusher''.

2.

Cradle of Judas: Torturers placed the naked victim's anus or vagina atop the pyramid and slowly lowered their body using ropes until the cavity was stretched, eventually impaling them. Used during the Spanish Inquisition.

3.

Cat's Paw: Was used to rip apart a human's flesh, tearing it right from the bone. Often the person would die from infection, a result of the unwashed spikes on the device.

4.

The Rack: Each of the victim's limbs were fitted into ropes and then stretched by the turn of handles, causing broken bones or total detachment. It got worse in later years when the device was tweaked to include a bed of sharp rusted spikes.

5.

The Wheel: Used in a number of ways, sometimes the victim would endure his limbs bludgeoned by an iron bar. Sometimes the torturers would light a fire beneath the wheel and slowly rotate the wheel, causing the fire to burn the length of the victim's body repeatedly. The victim was left alive and tied to the wheel, facing the sun to rot for the birds.

6.

Knee Splitter: Designed like a vice and used to decimate a person's limbs, the length and number of spikes varied. Sometimes heat was added to the wooden spikes to make the experience more excruciating.

7.

Spanish Donkey: Victim was placed naked straddling the device as if on a horse. Varying amounts of weight attached to the person's feet would pull them downward, often splitting their bodies in half.

8.

Crocodile Tube: A victim's face or feet, or sometimes both, were placed inside this tube. The torturer would heat the tube, mutilating the person. The victim sometimes didn't survive.

9.

Brazen Bull: Victims were placed inside the large brass bull as a fire was lit beneath it. The person would die of severe burns or asphyxiation. The device was rigged in such a way that the victim's screams were amplified and made to sound like a maddened ox.

10.

Crocodile Shears: This device was used for... Wait for it... Clamping down on a victim's penis repeatedly, effectively causing them to bleed out.