PEAR OF ANGUISH

 

Cute ? why don't you try ?

With a name like that, you just know this sucker is going to be bad. And it was.  Oh yes it was. It was most commonly used on women, liars, blasphemers, and homosexuals.  Take a look at the image and see if you can guess how it was used….

If you guessed that this pear shaped darling was used to punish the most intimate of orifices… DING DING! You’re right.  Let’s see… for women it would be inserted into the vagina, for men the anus, and the mouth for those accused of lying and blaspheming.  It consisted of 4 leaves and a screw.  As the screw was turned the leaves would separate and expand, and you get the idea.  The torturer could choose whether they merely wanted to tear the delicate skin of the victim, or open the pear all of the way and mutilate them utterly.  

Some pears of anguish were designed to target the part of the body at which it was meant for administration. Also, the offense of the individual determined the exact place of enacting torture. For instance, for homosexuals, the choke pear was introduced to the anus. Women who were accused of inducing miscarriage had the instrument shoved in their vagina. Liars or blasphemers got the torture device in the mouth.