The Tower of London: Torture Culture

Instruments of torture and death were a large part of London’s culture. Prisoners and criminals would often be subjected to severe torture to get information out of them but the criminals often felt honored. Torture in London was only commenced upon a direct order from the council. So you can imagine that if you are tortured, aside from the extreme pain, you know that whatever your plan was, made an impact. There are sick people like that. When I explored the Tower of London over the winter, I found that the White Tower houses these instruments of torture previously used in London, which are now artifacts of its time.

The instrument that seemed especially dangerous was “The Rack.” This instrument imposed death by separating the joints in someone’s body. The alleged criminal, if chosen to die by this tool, would lie on top of a bed made up of four barrels. Their arms and feet would be tied to the opposite ends with rope. Once their arms and legs were secure, the ends of the rack would pull the rope in the opposite direction of each other. As they pull their arms and feet, the criminal’s body slowly begins to play tug of war with itself, loosening its joints like a bolt coming out of a door. Once the joints are dislocated, the rest of the body is pulled apart, effectively splitting the body in two. This was considered a form of torture because it slowly and painfully killed the alleged criminal. However, as a form of torture, it was unsuccessful because it did not make the criminal speak.

Torture is a means to an end. It forces the victim to give up information in exchange for less pain. The rack created so much pain that it became a killing device. When I saw this contraption in the White Tower, I imagined seeing someone pulled in that way. I turned my face away as if to shy from a great horror. It made me question why such an intricate device for torture and death was created. In addition, it also made me realize how prominent death and torture were in London’s culture at the time. Altogether, it was both a cultural shock and an interesting fact I was blind to until visiting the Tower of London.

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