6/ Judicium Dei or Trial by ordeal
God’s judgment is a form of punishment which would have sealed the fate of many accused. During a case in which it was impossible to reach a verdict, the judge left God to decide their fate. The accused was subjected to painful ordeals or an unpleasant and usually dangerous experience. This often took the form of duels, physical combat or ordeals using water, fire or poison. If the accused managed to escape death then it was the will of God.
7/ Scalping
Scalping was a form of torture used by the military during the Irish Revolution of 1798. A pitchcap was a type of hat made from a item of clothing or material. The rim of the hat was filled with boiling tar and then placed on the victims head so they were scalped.
8/ Picket punishment
This form of punishment was often used in the medieval era and involved placing a wooden post in the ground with the pointed end facing up. The assured was then hung from above by one wrist. In order for them to remain upright the accused had to maintain their stance on the pointed stake in the ground. This punishment could last anything from a couple of hours to a few days…
9/ Sanction n°1
After flogging was abolished in 1881, the English military had to find another way to punish misdemeanors. Sanction n°1 became the new form of punishment and was used vigorously until 1920. The victim had to remain attached to an area for several hours per day whether it was the back of a wagon or in full view of enemy shells. Although it was seen as a humiliation tactic it could still put the accused’s life at risk.
10/ Abominable torture of bamboo shoots
The bamboo shoot torture method is one of the cruelest in the world, reportedly practiced in South and East Asia. The accused was hung over a bamboo shoot for several days. The bamboo shoot, which is very powerful, starts to grow and slowly punctures the victim’s body and continuing to grow out the other side. This torture method would have caused extreme pain and a very slow death.
