IRON MAIDEN

The spikes eventually will pierced on the victim's body

In 1793, Johann Philipp Siebenkees reported an iron maiden being used to execute a coin forger on August 14, 1515. Ironically, his story was a hoax. Still, he provides for us in his account one of the first mentions of this instrument. Several earlier mentions in 1783 and 1788 suggest that this instrument primarily served as a tourist or museum attraction – perhaps as an indication of how cruel people were in the past.

It was fitted with spikes on the inside that pierced different parts of the body but never transfixed vital organs in order to keep the victim alive, hanging upright, and still suffering untill they finally got their wish and died. The device would be opened both from the front and from the back side without the victim being able to get out. The container was so thick that no shriek could be heard from outside unless the doors were opened.

Although they weren’t used in the Middle Ages iron maidens have, unfortunately, been used. On Saturday April 19, 2003, TIME World News reported an iron maiden was found in the Iraqi National Olympic Committee compound in Baghdad. Fingers were pointed at Uday Saddam Hussein, head of the Committee, who reportedly oversaw torture of Iraqi athletes who had not performed to expectations.