Sunday, February 28, 2010

Medieval Torture's Ten Biggest Myths


I came across an odd bit of information a couple of months ago. Even though I don't write historicals, I decided to save it. When looking through a stack of oddities in search of a subject for this week's blog, I found it.

Unlike the message we get from Hollywood, Medieval times weren't as barbaric as we've been led to believe. And with that thought in mind, here's a list of the ten biggest myths about justice in the Dark Ages.

10) Go Directly To Jail?
Most Medieval communities actually had a judge and jury type of system, although it was much quicker than today's long drawn out sessions. "Court" generally lasted less than half an hour. At the judge's discretion, he could ask a few simple questions and deliver a verdict without consulting the jury.

9) The Lawless Middle Age Villages?
Earlier Medieval communities had much more social responsibility than today. If one member claimed to be wronged, every resident had to join in the hunt and persecution of the criminal, otherwise they would all be held responsible.

8) Those Strict Church Types?
The pious Middle Ages were serious about religious offenses. Each town's church usually ran its own kind of court to investigate everything from bad attendance to heresy. However, the concept of sanctuary was also well known with the church as a place where criminals could avoid sentencing or punishment. And on some occasions even be assisted in leaving the country.

7) Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind?
Criminals who committed lesser offenses were often subject to a policy of three strikes and you're out—literally. Repeat offenders were often simply banished from a city and not allowed back rather than killing them or having them clutter up the prisons. Humane and cost effective.

6) Executions: Left, Right, and Center?
According to Hollywood, Medieval evil-doers were killed on whim and often in public squares for even the slightest of offenses. In reality, capital punishment was used only in the most serious cases which included murder, treason, and arson with the guilty usually hanged.

5) Royal Highnesses High Above the Law?
Medieval nobles did enjoy certain privileges when it came to bending laws or making new ones to serve their purposes. However, most European countries had legislation preventing their kings and queens from running wild, such as England's Magna Carta.

4) Public Beheadings as Weekly Spectacle?
Beheading was swift and painless—as long as the axe was sharp. It was considered a privileged way to die and reserved primarily for the nobility. Treason was the crime of choice with the beheadings usually taking place inside castle walls rather than in public.

3) The Burning Times?
A few witches, as proclaimed by their accusers, were burned at the stake during Medieval times. But it was during the following Reformation period (beginning approximately in 1550) that burning witches at the stake really took off. However, in England witches were rarely burned and were hanged instead.

2) Off With Your Ear?
Mutilation—severing of an ear or hand—was occasionally used as a punishment for serious crimes, especially in larger jurisdictions such as London. But more often, Medieval law enforcement used it as an empty threat rather than actually doing it.

1) Rack 'Em Up?
Immortalized in the film Braveheart, the most famous (or infamous?) torture device of all time was the rack. It probably wasn't used in England until the very end of the Medieval period. It was used extensively along with other devices beginning in the torturous days of the 1500s when Queen Elizabeth I, and other European monarchs, began purging religious opponents.

So, next time you're watching a high budget film set during the Dark Ages and filled with bloody and torturous actions, remember there's a good chance it didn't really happen that way.

10 comments:

Skhye said...

LOL. But all writers know GMC is what a story is all about. We can't expect Hollywood not to show us the most extreme situation/resolution when we writers know that's what sells! Anyhow, I still think what you listed sounds pretty bad... But I like toilet paper, grit-less milled foods (think about the wearing down of your teeth from the bits of ground stone in flours), deodorant, and air conditioning. Just call me soft. ;) Or I studied bioarchaeology too long. Great post!!!

Margaret Tanner said...

Wow Samantha,
That was interesting.
Regards
Margaret

Samantha Gentry said...

Skhye: Thanks. You're absolutely right. I worked in Los Angeles in television production for over 20 years so I certainly know that. :)

And as far as the luxuries of today (gee...such as toilet paper), I don't even want to lose the conveniences of the last ten years. :)

Samantha Gentry said...

Thanks, Margaret. It was interesting information. Certainly puts a different slant on the movie version of historical events.

Karen Michelle Nutt said...

You mean Hollywood has it wrong? lol
Interesting post. Thanks for sharing.

Mary Ricksen said...

What a great post. Love this kind of blog.
Thanks!!!

Samantha Gentry said...

Karen: Yes...hard to believe that Hollywood would sacrifice accuracy for a more "marketable" movie. :)

Samantha Gentry said...

Thanks, Mary. I try to find interesting topics. You should see the pile of "interesting stuff" that I've printed out as possible blog topics when it crossed my path.

Janice Seagraves said...

Hi Samantha,

Yes, I agree most of it was exaggeration to wow the theater audience.

From all my research poor old William Wallace brave heart was really drawn and quartered. His pieces displayed to the general public, before being buried in several different locations all over England.

Joan of Arc was declared a witch and burned at the stake.

But these punishment were probably few and far between.

Janice~

Samantha Gentry said...

Hi, Janice. Yes, as I understand it, the punishment/torture methods were very real but applied in certain cases and were not the daily routine or the only punishment handed out for a specific crime. It seems the grisly tortures were reserved for extreme cases or to make a big statement in certain situations.

And the English certainly considered Wallace a big thorn in their side and needed to make an example of him.