16. The “Judas Cradle” was a pointed chair upon which victims were forced to squat until their leg muscles gave in and they were slowly impaled up the bottom
Another innovation attributed to the Spanish Inquisition, the “Judas Cradle”, also known as the “Judas Chair” or “Guided Cradle”, was a torture device dating from the 16th century. Utilizing a simple design, the victim would be strapped atop the chair and forced to support themselves solely with their legs for an indefinite period of time. Eventually, depending on the strength of the individual, the victim would be unable to maintain the required position any longer and the pyramidal tip of the “chair” would begin to impale their anus. After enduring an agonizing rupturing of their anal canal, the victim would die unless released.
As noted, the length of time before an individual would be impaled varied significantly. Accordingly, depending on the whims of the torturer, weights might be added to the legs of the victim to hasten their demise. Equally, their hands and feet might be tied together to make balancing even harder or oil poured over the chair. Several variations of the device existed, reflecting its use in a number of circumstances. Some designs, used for the purposes of gaining information, employed a pulley system, with the individual strapped into a harness and repeatedly lowered onto the tip of the chair to maximize the prolongation of suffering.