Medieval torture: everything you wanted to know

Published: Sept. 7, 2024, 11 p.m.

Why were people tortured in the Middle Ages? Was it ever legal? Did the infliction of physical pain play as large a role in medieval prosecutions as we might think? And did anyone actually experience the deadly embrace of the Iron Maiden? Speaking to Charlotte Hodgman, historian Professor Hannah Skoda answers a range of listener questions on torture in the medieval era. \n\nThe HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices