Quote Originally Posted by Peter View Post
I get the general idea. Aside from the head, what can you really put on a spike? A Left leg? A bit of torso?

The rack doesnt appear to be a day at the beach either. All in all, torture seems quite unpleasant.
Yeah, basically, they'd joint you like a piece of meat and stick your bits out to rot - except your head, which they'd tar first to preserve it.

Actually, one of the most effective tortures was simply hanging someone with their arms behind them. The dislocation of the shoulders would happen gradually and the pain would be exquisite without the torturer really having to put any effort in. The bastinado (or beating of the soles of the feet) was very effective, too.

Mind you, according to the Spanish Inquisition records, most people gave in at the point when they were being shown the instruments of torture.