What is a Judas chair, and what was it used for?

“What is a Judas chair and what was it used for?” was written for BDSMforyou.nl by Mistress Moriah.

Actually, a Judas chair has nothing to do with BDSM, but you might come across the term someday. If that happens, at least you’ll know what it means. A Judas chair (or Judas seat) is an instrument of torture that was used in Europe from the Middle Ages through the early modern period. It was designed as a pointed, pyramid-shaped chair on which the condemned person was placed naked. The tip of the pyramid was aimed at the victim’s lower body.

Using the victim’s own body weight or additional weights, the victim was slowly lowered onto the sharp point. This caused extreme pain and, in some cases, internal injuries, without inflicting immediately life-threatening wounds.

Form of Punishment

The Judas Chair was used to extract confessions or as a form of punishment. The instrument of torture is named after Judas Iscariot, the apostle who, according to the New Testament, betrayed Jesus Christ, because of its association with betrayal and the giving of false testimony. The torture could sometimes last for hours or days. If the victim did not die from the torture itself, they often died afterward from infection. The wooden block was not cleaned afterward.

Judicial Practices

The use of such torture methods highlights the cruelty of judicial practices during that period and the belief that physical pain was an effective means of extracting the truth or securing repentance. It goes without saying that the use of the Judas Chair, like many other instruments of torture, is now prohibited and is generally considered a serious violation of human rights. This is not surprising, given that many died as a result of this punishment.

The Judas Chair: A Dangerous Instrument of Torture

In short, the Judas chair is a highly dangerous instrument of torture and is therefore not recommended for use in BDSM play. The risk is far too great.

More information

Dungeon & products – Theme page

Source

Text: Mistress Moriah
Image: 123rf.com