Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 76.3.149.19 (talk) at 03:25, 20 June 2007 (→Iron maidens in fiction). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

An iron maiden is an iron cabinet built to torture or kill a person by piercing the body with sharp objects (such as knives, spikes, or nails), while he or she is forced to remain standing. The condemned bleeds profusely and is weakened slowly, eventually dying because of blood loss, or perhaps asphyxiation.

In addition, the condemned were starved for a period of 7-20 days to maximize their suffering and weakness. They were then struck on the back repeatedly with a large metal rod, stripped, then forced to walk through the streets, at which point all civilians were permitted to whip them from any angle, including the face.

St. Augustine makes an early reference to Carthaginian use of this device in The City of God I.15. The most famous device was the iron maiden of Nuremberg. Historians have ascertained that Johann Philipp Siebenkees created the history of it as a hoax in 1793. According to Siebenkees' colportage, it was first used on August 14, 1515, to execute a coin forger. The Nuremberg iron maiden was actually built in the 19th century as a misinterpretation of a medieval "Schandmantel" ("cloak of shame"), which was made of wood and tin but without spikes. The "cloak of shame" did not harm the body, but was used as a chastisement for poachers and prostitutes, who were made to wear it in public for a certain time. It was destroyed during World War II air raids in 1944.

The iron maiden of Nuremberg was anthropomorphic. It was probably styled after Mary, the mother of Jesus, with a carved likeness of her on the face. The "maiden" was about 7 feet (2.1m) tall and 3 feet (0.9m) wide, had double doors, and was big enough to contain an adult man. Inside the tomb-sized container, the iron maiden was fitted with dozens of sharp spikes. Supposedly, they were designed so that when the doors were shut, the spikes skewered the subject, yet missed vital organs, permitting him to remain alive and upright. The spikes were also movable in order to accommodate each person.

The condemned person was kept in an extremely confined space to maximize his level of suffering by claustrophobia. Mobility was nearly impossible, and as the condemned was weakened by the ordeal, the piercing objects would remain in place and tear into the body even further, causing even more intense pain.

The doors of the maiden could be opened and closed one at a time, without giving the victim opportunity to escape. Supposedly, this was helpful when checking on the victim.

Sources

• Schild, Wolfgang (2000). Die eiserne Jungfrau. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
• Jürgen Scheffler. "Der Folterstuhl - Metamorphosen eines Museumsobjektes". Zeitenblicke. Retrieved January 25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• "Vortrag von Klaus Graf: Mordgeschichten und Hexenerinnerungen". Mondzauberin. Retrieved January 25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

Notes

1. City of God
2. http://www.maidenfans.com/imc/?url=album01_ironmaiden/maidennuremberg&lang=eng&link=albums

• Torture