Medieval Inquisition
Inquisition
Although the Middle Ages was a time of havoc in Western Europe, one thing was still prevalent in such a barbaric time and that was Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church is what kept this area of the world from falling apart completely, therefore the people living in Europe at this time would do anything to protect the church. Hence, the start of the Inquisition. The sole purpose of the medieval inquisition was to suppress and try heresy and anything else that threatened the church. As a result, Pope Gregory IX began the papal inquisition in 1231. Despite it’s name, the inquisition was a series of brutal and gruesome ways of punishment rather than interrogation.
In the beginning, the inquisitors hunted major heretical groups such as the Cathari and Waldenses, but eventually they began persecuting blasphemers, witches, sexual offenders, homosexuals, etc. The Inquisition was not organized as the popes couldn’t control inquisitors who sometimes abused and tortured people who weren’t guilty of any crimes. The Inquisitors’ ways of torture were infamous. They invented many sadistic devices used to either cause excruciating pain in hopes of a confession or to simply execute. The type of punishment/torture device used on a person would depend on the crime they committed. One commonly used torture device during the inquisition was the head crusher. This was invented by sir Charles Oswald in the mid 13th century to either extract a confession from the suspected or to completely crush their head. The person being tortured would place their jaw on the lower metal bar and have the upper cap placed on the top of their head. Then the torturer would screw the top handle until the the victim’s head was extremely compressed or in some cases completely crushed. The head crusher would first cause the teeth to shatter, then the jaw. In extreme cases, usually involving their death, the victim’s eyeball’s would pop out of their sockets and their skull would completely
Although the Middle Ages was a time of havoc in Western Europe, one thing was still prevalent in such a barbaric time and that was Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church is what kept this area of the world from falling apart completely, therefore the people living in Europe at this time would do anything to protect the church. Hence, the start of the Inquisition. The sole purpose of the medieval inquisition was to suppress and try heresy and anything else that threatened the church. As a result, Pope Gregory IX began the papal inquisition in 1231. Despite it’s name, the inquisition was a series of brutal and gruesome ways of punishment rather than interrogation.
In the beginning, the inquisitors hunted major heretical groups such as the Cathari and Waldenses, but eventually they began persecuting blasphemers, witches, sexual offenders, homosexuals, etc. The Inquisition was not organized as the popes couldn’t control inquisitors who sometimes abused and tortured people who weren’t guilty of any crimes. The Inquisitors’ ways of torture were infamous. They invented many sadistic devices used to either cause excruciating pain in hopes of a confession or to simply execute. The type of punishment/torture device used on a person would depend on the crime they committed. One commonly used torture device during the inquisition was the head crusher. This was invented by sir Charles Oswald in the mid 13th century to either extract a confession from the suspected or to completely crush their head. The person being tortured would place their jaw on the lower metal bar and have the upper cap placed on the top of their head. Then the torturer would screw the top handle until the the victim’s head was extremely compressed or in some cases completely crushed. The head crusher would first cause the teeth to shatter, then the jaw. In extreme cases, usually involving their death, the victim’s eyeball’s would pop out of their sockets and their skull would completely
Cited: Joax. "The Head Crusher." The Head Crusher. Medievality.com, 29 Nov. 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. "Medieval Inquisition Torture." Medieval Inquisition Torture. Medieval Life and Times, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. Newman, Simon. "Middle Ages Torture: Devices & Techniques." The Finer Times: War, Crime and History Resource. The Finer Times, 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. Van Helden, Al. "Historical Overview of the Inquisition." Historical Overview of the Inquisition. Galileo, 1995. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.