Medieval Torture Devices: The “Scold’s Bridle”
The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty ImagesWomen accused of being “scolds” were sometimes punished with a medieval torture device called a Scold’s Bridle.
For women in the Middle Ages, being called a “scold” could be dangerous. The term referred to anyone (but mostly women) who gossiped, slandered others, fought loudly, or spoke out of turn. And the punishment for some scolds was a medieval torture device called a Scold’s Bridle.
The device was basically an iron mask fitted over a woman’s face. A lock at the back held it into place, and a metal gag held her tongue down. Sometimes, the gag was spiked and would cut the tongue if she spoke.
This device had a dual purpose. It would silence the woman accused of being a scold and it would humiliate her. Often, she would be forced to walk through town or stand in the main square so others could see her shame.
The Print Collector/Getty ImagesDifferent kinds of Scold’s Bridles, which were used on women accused of “gossiping, nagging, or scandal-mongering.”
The first mention of this medieval torture device came in the 14th century, when one of author Geoffrey Chaucer’s characters said: “would she were bolted with a Bridle.” Later anecdotes describe how women accused of being “scolds” or having “loose morals” were punished with a Scold’s Bridle.
Indeed, it seems that this device was used for hundreds of years. It wasn’t until the dawn of the Victorian era that Scold’s Bridles were declared “barbaric” — though the last known use of a Scold’s Bridle was in 1856.
This torture device was painful and humiliating, and it sought to show women everywhere how dangerous speaking their minds could be.
