The Strappado and Squasation
The Strappado
The Strappado
The Strappado
The strappado, also known as the pendulum, was one of the easiest and, therefore, one of the most common torture techniques. All one needed to set up a strappado was a sturdy rafter and a rope. The victim's wrists were bound behind her/his back, and the rope would be tossed over the beam. Then, the victim was repeatedly dropped from a height, so that her/his arms and shoulders would dislocate.
In some areas, it was customary to apply thumbscrews to the victim while she/he was on the strappad.
The Squasation
Squassation was a form of torture used in conjunction with the strappado. It was the process of hanging weights from the victim as they were being tortured with the strappado. Weights ranged from fifty to five hundred pounds. The greater the weight, the more bones would be dislocated.
"Four applications of squassation were regarded as equivalent to a sentence of death".