10 Popular History Myths (You Probably Believe)

When someone says "medieval Europe," the first images that spring to mind are likely the plethora of horrific, inhuman torture devices that were supposedly used on heretics, sinners, and all manner of unlucky peasant.

Perhaps the most recognizable torture device associated with the medieval era is the Iron Maiden. You've seen it. It's a monstrous coffin-shaped contraption, the inside of which is lined with a series of gnarly spikes. You'd be trapped inside, full of holes, left to writhe in agony until you repented or confessed or whatever.

Here's the thing, though: they're not real. Sure, they physically exist, but so does the MCU's Mjolnir. They're much the same: they're props. All of those Iron Maidens you see in museums? They're non-functioning, and they always were. The Iron Maiden gained popularity in the collective consciousness in the 19th century, when exhibits about medieval torture were really hot. They were assembled solely for the purposes of commercial exhibitionism.

They weren't referenced in medieval times, and there's no evidence that they were ever used in a torture capacity. There were plenty of real torture devices (i.e. the brazen bull or the rack), but the Iron Maiden was not one of them.