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The Heretic's Fork was a metal tool used long ago during the Inquisition to punish people accused of being heretics or witches. It was made of a rod with two sharp spikes on each end. One side pressed into the person's chin, the other into their upper chest. A strap was tied around their neck to hold it in place.
The person couldn't move their head at all. If they tried to look down, talk, or even swallow, the spikes would dig into their skin and cause pain. The point of the tool wasn't to kill, but to make the person suffer for a long time without rest or sleep.
Sometimes, the fork had the words "I recant" written on it-meaning the person had to take back what they said or believed. But speaking was nearly impossible. Any attempt to talk or move made the pain worse.
After a few hours, the pain became unbearable. The neck and shoulders would get stiff. The head would start to ache. The person might shake from stress and lack of sleep. Their eyes would darken from exhaustion. Even breathing or swallowing their own spit could cause choking or spasms, because the strap pressed tightly against their throat.
This device was often used before public
punishments like auto-da-fé-ceremonies where heretics were judged and sometimes burned in front of crowds. The fork made sure the person stayed still, looking up. But instead of seeing the sky or heaven, they would only see the dirty ceiling of the torture room.
The length of the spikes was chosen carefully: they were just long enough to cause pain, but not death. Even if the person gave up and slumped forward, they wouldn't die right away. They would just hurt more.
The Heretic's Fork wasn't just about pain-it was about control. It forced people to be quiet, to look up, to obey. 4 replies
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