People have long understood that physical torture is one of the surest means to achieve the desired information from the person. Of course, the tortures of the Inquisition used before, but for a long time, they recognized the extreme means. Only Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254) legitimized them with his bull, which ordered "to force by force, without causing harm and without jeopardizing the life of the captured heretics as destroyers and murderers and thieves shower holy sacraments and the Christian faith, with the utmost clarity admit their mistakes and give other heretics known to them. " Not surprisingly, when witchcraft was equated with heresy, it means spread to witches, moreover, that in the "Hammer of Witches" read: "Justice demands that a witch was not sentenced to death, until he pleads guilty."

Before you start questioning the executioner victim described in detail what awaited her, and one that sometimes is enough to the victim to confess that in this case considered to be voluntary. But many, many of the defendants admitted their guilt only under inhuman torture.

The interrogation took place in the following way. First suspect was shaved bald, and then pricked with needles the whole body, looking at the body insensitive to pain location. If this place was, then, as well as birthmarks Birthmarks It was considered "Marked the devil." Then the torture began, which lasted until the suspect is not aware of. Executioner only watch, not to bring the victim to death, stopping torture if she lost consciousness. It was then taken away in a cell given to recover and regain strength, and the next day, again resorted to many hours, even more brutal tortures. If the witch was not recognized, it became another proof of its connection with the devil - for the common man can not afford to endure such suffering.
  For all these procedures executioner and members of the tribunal were paid, and the money taken from the funds confiscated from the defendant. If a person could not provide funding itself, the costs paid by his relatives. It is striking that the legal fees are usually included not only the cost of torture, but also the cost of the power of the executioner, travel, entertainment and fodder for the horses, and service assistants are paid separately.

Specific forms of torture varied depending on the country where the trial. Hanging on a rack, for example, does not apply in England and Scotland, but was widespread in France, where it is the most used means. As for the other methods, the victims, for example, mercilessly flogged with whips, special iron forks torn chest, and red-hot pincers tore the body. Hot metal rods burned flesh and putting them in the vagina and rectum. In some cases, the "Hammer of Witches" have recourse to the test prescribed iron when the witch was forced to hold in the hands of a red-hot bar of metal. If she drops it on the ground, it automatically found guilty. This torture, in particular, was used when the victim has almost lost the ability to feel pain.

One of the most sophisticated torture was hanging on a rack. The victim's hands bound behind his back and a rope of them passed through a hook screwed into the ceiling. Then a man rises steeply, and then let go, jerk rope bones and muscles moving the shoulders, elbows and wrists. This torture is sometimes reinforced by tying weights to the legs of the victim and thereby twisting the hips, knees and ankles. In France, for example, used goods, whose weight ranged from forty to two hundred or more pounds,
  and the case when the weight weighed 650 pounds.

As a rule, the limitations of severity of torture applied to the accused of witchcraft did not exist, and therefore it is not surprising that many confessions signed the protocols only in order to avoid even greater suffering. However, after the recognition of witchcraft did not end the suffering of the defendants. They were sentenced to death, and only in extreme cases imprisoned, deported or released. In the case of confessions victim, as a special favor, choked, otherwise, it was doomed to be burned alive, and suffering casualties simmered sometimes lasted for several hours. On the way to the fire or the gallows convicted whipped, burned with a hot iron or stigmatized. Sometimes the body of the executed nailed to the gallows with nails, and this infernal work has brought the executioner and his assistant extra fee.

The car began to slow down the pace of the Inquisition only in the XVII century .  Reason has triumphed: the authorities began to take steps to restrict or even prohibit torture, the death penalty was replaced by life imprisonment or link .  In conclusion, I want to tell you about Archduke Braunschweig, who was so shocked by the cruelty of the executioners that prohibit torture in their possessions .  He invited two Jesuit priests to hear confession of the woman accused of witchcraft .  Secretly from priests Duke instructed judges to snatch the victim's recognition in advance of these crimes personally .  Under torture, the accused admitted that attending Sabbaths on Mount Brocken .  But then she suddenly announced that the dissolute orgies on the Sabbath, and participated in a chamber present Jesuit priest, and they were turned into wolves, goats and other animals copulating with witches, who then gave birth to seven babies at the same time with frog heads .  Stunned recognition priests Duke explained that in this way under torture can pull out any necessary executioners recognition .  One of the priests later wrote a book entitled "Prevention of prosecutors," which explained that the inquisitors beneficial to impose the death of as many as possible, because they are paid for each witch burned, moreover, they will inherit her property .  At the end of the book, he said that the age of thirty is almost completely turned gray with grief: for many of the witches, whom he sentenced to torture and the death penalty, there was no truly guilty .

Finally witch hunt ended only in the middle of the XVIII century .  Some researchers believe that the victims of this mass insanity began a few million executed and tortured to death under torture of women is documented proof of the death of tens of thousands .  This does not seem so impressive against the backdrop of the human cost of the twentieth century, and is very far removed from us those dark ages .  All of us at heart think that now, in our enlightened time anything like this can not happen that all the machinations of obscurantist taken possession of the minds of superstitious ignoramuses .  But before you once again for a long time to forget about the Inquisition, torture and satanic coven - think .  We do not wish death .  We are not able to torture and have fun .  We do not believe in magic, and never contrived to resort to these funny Babkin means .  We do not want to feel like a witch, beautiful, all-powerful, free, pagan goddess - that much we all costs .  Never .  Or? .  

Daria Nedelina