HIS 8 : Medieval Crime and Punishment: Websites

The medieval era saw the invention of some of the most cruel and painful methods of torture in history. From the 12th to the 15th centuries, in particular, increasingly sadistic methods of torture arose, driven by a desire to either extract confessions from victims or to enforce punishment on them.
From flaying a person’s skin to crushing their limbs in a vice, here are 8 of the most gruesome forms of medieval torture.

The period known as the Middle Ages stands out as one­ of ­the most violent eras in history. This epoch, lasting roughly 1,000 years, from the fifth century to the 15th, was a time of great inequality and brutality in much of Europe.
What really sets this time apart is the ghoulish inventiveness that gave rise to a plethora of torture methods.

Law and order was very harsh in Medieval England. Those in charge of law and order believed that people would only learn how to behave properly if they feared what would happen to them if they broke the law. Even the ‘smallest’ offences had serious punishments. The authorities feared the poor simply because there were many more poor than rich and any revolt could be potentially damaging – as the Peasants Revolt of 1381 proved.

Trial by ordeal was an ancient judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused was determined by subjecting them to a painful, or at least an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience. In medieval Europe, like trial by combat, trial by ordeal, such as cruentation, was sometimes considered a “judgement of God” (Latin: jūdicium Deī, Old English: Godes dōm): a procedure based on the premise that God would help the innocent by performing a miracle on his behalf.

In a Q&A, Elizabeth Papp Kamali ’07 discusses her new book, trial by ordeal, medieval juries and “felonies committed feloniously.” (2019)