The Judas Cradle, A “Stain On Human History”
Public DomainThe Judas Cradle was one of the most agonizing medieval torture devices.
“The Judas Cradle,” French historian Fernand Braudel once remarked, “was a symbol of the barbarism and cruelty of the Middle Ages. Its use is a stain on human history and a reminder of the depths to which humanity can sink.”
So what was this agonizing medieval torture device?
The Judas Cradle was, in some ways, quite similar to the Spanish Donkey. The device itself was shaped like a pyramid, with a sharp tip atop four legs. The victim would be suspended from the ceiling and lowered down onto the Judas Cradle, so that the tip penetrated their genitalia or anus.
Flominator/Wikimedia CommonsAn example of a Judas Cradle, also called a Judas Chair, at a torture museum in Germany.
Sometimes, the victim would also have weights attached to their body, so that they were pulled down further. Other times, the tip of the Judas Cradle would be spiked so that it caused maximum agony. And sometimes, interrogators would rock the device, so that it dug in even deeper.
Victims were often left for hours or even days at a time on the Judas Cradle. This caused excruciating pain, disfigurement, and deep humiliation. Naturally, many victims quickly confessed to whatever they were accused of — but they would have surely said anything to get the torture to stop.
The Judas Cradle was used to great effect during the Spanish Inquisition, as interrogators yielded this medieval torture device to elicit confessions. But even if people confessed, they were not spared from the pain, and some of them died soon after they underwent this torture.
