How Heretic Forks Became One Of The Cruelest Punishments Of All Time
The heretic's fork is a leather belt that is secured snugly on the neck. Attached to it are two sharp prongs, with one pointing to the wearer's throat and the other pointing just above the sternum. Although the device looks simple, having it on will cause extreme and continuous pain to the wearer, per Torture Museum. Keeping the head in a steady position will prevent the tips of the prongs from piercing the skin, but of course, a person can only hold one position for so long before getting tired.
It is said that those who wore the heretic's fork threw their heads back to the skies as if looking up at the heavens to avoid being pierced by the sharp ends of the prongs. But the lengths of its prongs were made in such a way that those who resorted to killing themselves rather than enduring the torture wouldn't die immediately. Instead, once they were pierced, they would go through a long torturous death by bleeding out of their wounds. According to Medievality, the heretic's fork was typically used to get a confession, but it was sometimes used after a confession to prevent the heretic from speaking further.
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