The Pear of Anguish, also known as the choke pear, was a gruesome torture device allegedly used during the medieval period, though much of its historical use is debated. Shaped like a metal pear, the device was inserted into the victim’s mouth, rectum, or vagina, depending on the crime or accusation. A screw mechanism would then expand the “petals” of the pear, causing excruciating pain and severe internal injury. It was reportedly used to punish blasphemers, witches, homosexuals, and adulterers. While it’s frequently cited in torture lore, there is limited concrete evidence of its widespread use, and some historians believe it may have been more of a symbol of cruelty than a commonly used tool.
What was the Pear of Anguish used For?
The Pear of Anguish torture device was used mostly against women that had been accused of being witches, the purpose of which was to extract a confession from women. The Pear was widely used throughout the Spanish Inquisition. The Pear of Anguish torture device inflicted a lot of pain and it didn’t take long to extract a confession from a woman of being a witch or any other crime using this torture device. The Pear of Anguish medieval torture device was usually made of hard metal possibly iron.
Did the Pear of Anguish torture device kill people
The medieval torture device was mainly used on women as it had been specifically designed to be used on medieval women. When the Pear of Anguish torture device was used the aim was not always to kill the woman but to extract a confession for instance of being a witch.
However, when the woman confessed to being a witch she was usually burned at the stake, so this was really a no-win situation. The Pear of Anguish torture device was brutal in its nature and many women who were tortured in medieval Castle dungeons would have died from their injuries.
Pear of Anguish Mechanism and Workings
The Pear of Anguish medieval torture device that was used on women in medieval times was inserted into any opening of the body that you can imagine.
The Pear of Anguish was inserted into the mouth or any opening in its closed position, the device had a screw mechanism that allowed the torturer to slowly expand the pears wings and increase its volume, this created incredible pressure inside the body.
The Pear of Anguish had pointed prongs, which were ideal for ripping into the throat, cervix, or intestines of the victim and commonly caused death.
