The iron maiden is a mythical torture device, consisting of a solid iron cabinet with a hinged front and spike-covered interior, sufficiently tall to enclose a human being. The first stories citing the iron maiden were composed in the 19th century. The use of iron maidens is considered to be a myth, heightened by the belief that people of the Middle Ages were uncivilized; evidence of their actual use is difficult to find. They have become a very popular image in media involving the Middle Ages and involving torture chambers.
Various neo-medieval torture instruments. An iron maiden stands at the right.
Despite its reputation as a medieval instrument of torture, there is no evidence of the existence of iron maidens before the 19th century.[1] There are, however, ancient reports of the Spartan tyrant Nabis using a similar device around 200 B.C. for extortion and murder. The Abbasid vizier Ibn al-Zayyat is said to have created a "wooden oven-like chest that had iron spikes" for torture, which would ironically be used during his own imprisonment and execution in 847.[2]
Wolfgang Schild, a professor of criminal law, criminal law history, and philosophy of law at the Bielefeld University, has argued that putative iron maidens were pieced together from artifacts found in museums to create spectacular objects intended for (commercial) exhibition.[3] Several 19th-century iron maidens are on display in museums around the world, including the Museum of Us,[4] the Meiji University Museum,[5] and several torture museums[6][7][8] in Europe.
Possible inspirationsEdit
The 19th-century iron maidens may have been constructed as probable misinterpretation of a medieval Schandmantel, which was made of wood and metal but without spikes.[9] Inspiration for the iron maiden may also have come from the Carthaginian execution of Marcus Atilius Regulus as recorded in Tertullian's "To the Martyrs" (Chapter 4) and Augustine of Hippo's The City of God (I.15), in which the Carthaginians "shut him into a tight wooden box, where he was forced to stand, spiked with the sharpest nails on all sides so that he could not lean in any direction without being pierced,"[10] or from Polybius' account of Nabis of Sparta's deadly statue of his wife, the Iron Apega (earliest form of the device).[11][12]
The iron maiden of NurembergEdit
Copy of the iron maiden of Nuremberg on display in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
The most famous iron maiden that popularized the design was that of Nuremberg, first displayed possibly as far back as 1802. The original was lost in the Allied bombing of Nuremberg in 1945. A copy "from the Royal Castle of Nuremberg", crafted for public display, was sold through J. Ichenhauser of London to the Earl of Shrewsbury in 1890 along with other torture devices, and, after being displayed at the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893, was taken on an American tour.[13] This copy was auctioned in the early 1960s and is now on display at the Medieval Crime Museum, Rothenburg ob der Tauber.[14]
OriginsEdit
Some historians have argued that Johann Philipp Siebenkees (1759 – 1796) made up the history of the device.[15] According to Siebenkees' colportage, it was first used on August 14, 1515, to execute a coin forger.[16]
See alsoEdit
Pear of anguish—another supposed medieval torture device with little actual evidence of use
^Graf, Klaus (June 21, 2001), , archived from the original on August 28, 2004, retrieved July 11, 2007, Das Hinrichtungswerkzeug "Eiserne Jungfrau" ist eine Fiktion des 19. Jahrhunderts, denn erst in der ersten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts hat man frühneuzeitliche Schandmäntel, die als Straf- und Folterwerkzeuge dienten und gelegentlich als "Jungfrau" bezeichnet wurden, innen mit eisernen Spitzen versehen und somit die Objekte den schaurigen Phantasien in Literatur und Sage angepaßt." "The execution tool "Iron Maiden" is a fiction of the 19th century, because only since the first half of the 19th century the early-modern-times' "rishard cloaks", which sometimes were called "maidens", were provided with iron spikes; and thus the objects were adapted to the dreadful fantasies in literature and legend."{{citation}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link).
^Al-Tabari (1989). The Incipient Decline: The Caliphates of Al-Wathiq, Al-Mutawakkil, and Al-Muntasir, A.D. 841–863/A.H. 227–248. Translated by Kraemer, Joel. State University of New York Press. p. 70.
^Schild, Wolfgang (2000). Die eiserne Jungfrau. Dichtung und Wahrheit (Schriftenreihe des Mittelalterlichen Kriminalmuseums Rothenburg o. d. Tauber Nr. 3). Rothenburg ob der Tauber.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^San Diego Museum of Man, , archived from the original on 2015-02-18, retrieved 2015-01-17
^Meiji University Museum, The Mission of the Meiji University Museum
^Museum Kyburg Castle, The Iron Maiden, from the original on 2008-05-10, retrieved 2015-01-17
^Český Krumlov Castle Museum of Torture, , archived from the original on 2016-02-16, retrieved 2015-01-17
^Seth Robson, , Stars and Stripes, archived from the original on 2015-03-20, retrieved 2015-01-17
^Translation by Gerald G. Walsh, S.J., Demetrius B. Zema, S.J., Grace Monahan, O.S.U., and Daniel J. Honan.
^Polybius (2013-11-08), The Histories of Polybius, vol. II, translated by Evelyn Shirley Shuckburgh, Book XIII, Chapter 7
^Pomeroy, Sarah B. (2002p), "Elite Women, The Last Reformers: Apega and Nabis and Chaeron", Spartan Women, Oxford University Press US, pp. 89–90, ISBN9780195130676 – via Books.Google.com.
^"Famous torture instruments: the Earl of Shrewsbury's collection soon to be exhibited here", The New York Times, 26 November 1893 accessed 20 June 2009, refers particularly only to the "justly-celebrated iron maiden".
^It was notably absent from the remainder of the collection, auctioned at Guernsey's, New York, in May 2009 (Richard Pyle, Associated Press, "For sale in NYC: torture devices").
^Bishop, Chris (2014). "The 'pear of anguish': Truth, torture and dark medievalism" (PDF). International Journal of Cultural Studies. 17 (6): 591–602. doi:10.1177/1367877914528531. hdl:1885/17580. S2CID 146124132. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
Jürgen Scheffler. "Der Folterstuhl – Metamorphosen eines Museumsobjektes". Zeitenblicke. Retrieved January 25, 2006.
. Mondzauberin. Archived from the original on August 28, 2004. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
. Archived from the original on August 2, 2003. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
External linksEdit
Media related to Iron maiden (torture) at Wikimedia Commons
Infernal Device: Iron Maiden at Occasional Hell
October 28, 2023
iron, maiden, confused, with, maiden, guillotine, this, article, about, supposed, torture, device, band, iron, maiden, other, uses, iron, maiden, disambiguation, iron, maiden, mythical, torture, device, consisting, solid, iron, cabinet, with, hinged, front, sp. Not to be confused with Maiden guillotine This article is about the supposed torture device For the band see Iron Maiden For other uses see Iron Maiden disambiguation The iron maiden is a mythical torture device consisting of a solid iron cabinet with a hinged front and spike covered interior sufficiently tall to enclose a human being The first stories citing the iron maiden were composed in the 19th century The use of iron maidens is considered to be a myth heightened by the belief that people of the Middle Ages were uncivilized evidence of their actual use is difficult to find They have become a very popular image in media involving the Middle Ages and involving torture chambers Various neo medieval torture instruments An iron maiden stands at the right Contents 1 History 1 1 Possible inspirations 2 The iron maiden of Nuremberg 2 1 Origins 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksHistory Edit nbsp An open iron maidenDespite its reputation as a medieval instrument of torture there is no evidence of the existence of iron maidens before the 19th century 1 There are however ancient reports of the Spartan tyrant Nabis using a similar device around 200 B C for extortion and murder The Abbasid vizier Ibn al Zayyat is said to have created a wooden oven like chest that had iron spikes for torture which would ironically be used during his own imprisonment and execution in 847 2 Wolfgang Schild a professor of criminal law criminal law history and philosophy of law at the Bielefeld University has argued that putative iron maidens were pieced together from artifacts found in museums to create spectacular objects intended for commercial exhibition 3 Several 19th century iron maidens are on display in museums around the world including the Museum of Us 4 the Meiji University Museum 5 and several torture museums 6 7 8 in Europe Possible inspirations Edit The 19th century iron maidens may have been constructed as probable misinterpretation of a medieval Schandmantel which was made of wood and metal but without spikes 9 Inspiration for the iron maiden may also have come from the Carthaginian execution of Marcus Atilius Regulus as recorded in Tertullian s To the Martyrs Chapter 4 and Augustine of Hippo s The City of God I 15 in which the Carthaginians shut him into a tight wooden box where he was forced to stand spiked with the sharpest nails on all sides so that he could not lean in any direction without being pierced 10 or from Polybius account of Nabis of Sparta s deadly statue of his wife the Iron Apega earliest form of the device 11 12 The iron maiden of Nuremberg Edit nbsp Copy of the iron maiden of Nuremberg on display in Rothenburg ob der TauberThe most famous iron maiden that popularized the design was that of Nuremberg first displayed possibly as far back as 1802 The original was lost in the Allied bombing of Nuremberg in 1945 A copy from the Royal Castle of Nuremberg crafted for public display was sold through J Ichenhauser of London to the Earl of Shrewsbury in 1890 along with other torture devices and after being displayed at the World s Columbian Exposition Chicago 1893 was taken on an American tour 13 This copy was auctioned in the early 1960s and is now on display at the Medieval Crime Museum Rothenburg ob der Tauber 14 Origins Edit Some historians have argued that Johann Philipp Siebenkees 1759 1796 made up the history of the device 15 According to Siebenkees colportage it was first used on August 14 1515 to execute a coin forger 16 See also EditPear of anguish another supposed medieval torture device with little actual evidence of use Brazen bull Ducking stoolReferences Edit Graf Klaus June 21 2001 Mordgeschichten und Hexenerinnerungen das boshafte Gedachtnis auf dem Dorf archived from the original on August 28 2004 retrieved July 11 2007 Das Hinrichtungswerkzeug Eiserne Jungfrau ist eine Fiktion des 19 Jahrhunderts denn erst in der ersten Halfte des 19 Jahrhunderts hat man fruhneuzeitliche Schandmantel die als Straf und Folterwerkzeuge dienten und gelegentlich als Jungfrau bezeichnet wurden innen mit eisernen Spitzen versehen und somit die Objekte den schaurigen Phantasien in Literatur und Sage angepasst The execution tool Iron Maiden is a fiction of the 19th century because only since the first half of the 19th century the early modern times rishard cloaks which sometimes were called maidens were provided with iron spikes and thus the objects were adapted to the dreadful fantasies in literature and legend a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Al Tabari 1989 The Incipient Decline The Caliphates of Al Wathiq Al Mutawakkil and Al Muntasir A D 841 863 A H 227 248 Translated by Kraemer Joel State University of New York Press p 70 Schild Wolfgang 2000 Die eiserne Jungfrau Dichtung und Wahrheit Schriftenreihe des Mittelalterlichen Kriminalmuseums Rothenburg o d Tauber Nr 3 Rothenburg ob der Tauber a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link San Diego Museum of Man Medieval Imposter the Iron Maiden archived from the original on 2015 02 18 retrieved 2015 01 17 Meiji University Museum The Mission of the Meiji University Museum Museum Kyburg Castle The Iron Maiden archived from the original on 2008 05 10 retrieved 2015 01 17 Cesky Krumlov Castle Museum of Torture Museum of Torture archived from the original on 2016 02 16 retrieved 2015 01 17 Seth Robson Prague Torture Museum Offers a Blood Curdling Collection Stars and Stripes archived from the original on 2015 03 20 retrieved 2015 01 17 Museum Digital Schandmantel Translation by Gerald G Walsh S J Demetrius B Zema S J Grace Monahan O S U and Daniel J Honan Polybius 2013 11 08 The Histories of Polybius vol II translated by Evelyn Shirley Shuckburgh Book XIII Chapter 7 Pomeroy Sarah B 2002p Elite Women The Last Reformers Apega and Nabis and Chaeron Spartan Women Oxford University Press US pp 89 90 ISBN 9780195130676 via Books Google com Famous torture instruments the Earl of Shrewsbury s collection soon to be exhibited here The New York Times 26 November 1893 accessed 20 June 2009 refers particularly only to the justly celebrated iron maiden It was notably absent from the remainder of the collection auctioned at Guernsey s New York in May 2009 Richard Pyle Associated Press For sale in NYC torture devices Bishop Chris 2014 The pear of anguish Truth torture and dark medievalism PDF International Journal of Cultural Studies 17 6 591 602 doi 10 1177 1367877914528531 hdl 1885 17580 S2CID 146124132 Retrieved 2022 12 25 Wolfgang Schild Die Eiserne Jungfrau 2002Further reading EditJurgen Scheffler Der Folterstuhl Metamorphosen eines Museumsobjektes Zeitenblicke Retrieved January 25 2006 Vortrag von Klaus Graf Mordgeschichten und Hexenerinnerungen Mondzauberin Archived from the original on August 28 2004 Retrieved July 11 2007 Das leckt die Kuh nicht ab Zufallige Gedanken zu Schriftlichkeit und Erinnerungskultur der Strafgerichtsbarkeit Archived from the original on August 2 2003 Retrieved July 11 2007 External links Edit nbsp Media related to Iron maiden torture at Wikimedia Commons Infernal Device Iron Maiden at Occasional Hell Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Iron maiden amp oldid 1179889410, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
