Introduction:  A torture chain with spikes was used to: A) wrap a body around a tree, and then the ends were pulled by horses! Or, B) used to tie heretics to a stake and have them burned alive, see the above 1544 Dutch Anabaptist illustration of Maria and Ursula van Beckum in 1544. Needless to say, the creative torturer C) did both!

As you can imagine, this was a very cruel practice.

Discussion: Torture was a standard part of medieval society. Its been estimated that as many as 1 in 10 people in medieval Europe may have been tortured. The use of torture was sanctioned by both the government and the church, who considered it as a necessary evil in order to enforce law and order. Torture was used to extract confessions dealing with treason, heresy, and witchcraft . Torture was often performed in public places such as the town square or city gates as a deterrent against crime.

 In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, torture was used as a judicial punishment to deter crimes, even for minor offenses like stealing food. This was usually done in a public square to deter others from committing similar crimes.

Torture was also administered in the castle dungeon, which normally was for a more extended period, even months! During the Spanish Inquisition, thousands were tortured to force a religious conversation. This period was known as the Inquisition.

It should be noted that in many cases, the motivating factor for torture was not conversion but the Inquisitor’s right to keep the wealth of the tortured.

Description: Constructed of low carbon steel oval rings 2.5 in length, width 1 inch, , with a transversing protruding spike in the center of each link 1.15  inches in length. The total length of the chain is 81 inches.