posted on Sep, 5 2006 @ 08:17 AM
During the Spanish Inquisition, the first degree was describing the instruments of torture to be used; the second degree was showing the instruments
and the third degree was using the instruments.
It was as I recall Anne of Austria that instituted the 3 degrees of torture and was
lauded for her compassion.
The 3 were as I recall The thumb screw, in which the thumb/s were slowly broken.
A device that consisted of a box and wedge used to slowly break the leg/s just above the ankle
and the strappado , where the hands/arms were tied/secured behind the back. then
a rope run through a pully was attached. The victim was then raised , dropped , jerked to a stop, raised, sometimes suspended, sometimes tackled,
etc.. If you passed through all 3 degrees with out confessing you were proclaimed
Innocent and to be set free.
of course by this time your broken hands would look like claws,legs broken and never set, shoulders dislocated, back injuries, skin color resulting
from little or no food, malnutrition, and other viral and bacterial conditions resulting from the living conditions.
given all of the above , ever wonder where the modern depiction of the green faced witch has its roots?
and remember that most of those tried by these methods and those later tried under
the Malleus were just simply women educated in healing with herbs and other naturals. They made potions and medicines to heal. But then so did
the hacks of the time called DR.s, but they were MEN.