Pendulum (torture device)
Encyclopedia
The pendulum was an instrument of torture
and execution claimed to have been used by the Spanish Inquisition
as recently as the early 19 Century. The allegation is contained in the book The history of the Inquisition of Spain by the Spanish priest, historian and liberal
activist Juan Antonio Llorente
. Although invented to cause maximum pain, the pendulum's primary function was to induce psychological fear into the victim, thereby extracting a quick confession. This method of torture was described by the 1842 short story
"The Pit and the Pendulum
" by American author Edgar Allan Poe
. It was also showed in the film Saw V
.
for his story "The Pit and the Pendulum
". The Discovery Channel
produced a program called Death Machines in which a replica pendulum was built and put to the test on a dummy. The results were inconclusive. However, a History Channel program called Surviving History featured an experiment with a larger-scale replica, which showed that the pendulum could conceivably work.
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and execution claimed to have been used by the Spanish Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
as recently as the early 19 Century. The allegation is contained in the book The history of the Inquisition of Spain by the Spanish priest, historian and liberal
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
activist Juan Antonio Llorente
Juan Antonio Llorente
Juan Antonio Llorente was a Spanish historian and liberal activist....
. Although invented to cause maximum pain, the pendulum's primary function was to induce psychological fear into the victim, thereby extracting a quick confession. This method of torture was described by the 1842 short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"The Pit and the Pendulum
The Pit and the Pendulum
"The Pit and the Pendulum" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1842 in the literary annual The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843. The story is about the torments endured by a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, though Poe skews historical facts. The...
" by American author Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
. It was also showed in the film Saw V
Saw V
Saw V is a 2008 Canadian-American horror film directed by David Hackl and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor and Scott Patterson...
.
Operation of the pendulum
The victim was first secured to a wooden bench with ropes so that it was impossible for him to move. Above the victim was a crescent-shaped blade which would begin swinging to and from. Gradually the bar to which the blade was attached would be lowered bringing it closer and closer to the victim's abdomen. It would usually be at this point that the victim would confess. If no confession was made, the blade would continue to lower until it began cutting through the victim's torso. Eventually, the victim would be cleaved in two.Controversy
There has been much debate between historians as to whether the pendulum was ever used or whether it was simply invented by Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
for his story "The Pit and the Pendulum
The Pit and the Pendulum
"The Pit and the Pendulum" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1842 in the literary annual The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843. The story is about the torments endured by a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, though Poe skews historical facts. The...
". The Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
produced a program called Death Machines in which a replica pendulum was built and put to the test on a dummy. The results were inconclusive. However, a History Channel program called Surviving History featured an experiment with a larger-scale replica, which showed that the pendulum could conceivably work.