The Iron Maiden, often thought to be a medieval torture
device, is actually an 18th-century hoax. First mentioned by German philosopher
Johann Philipp Siebenkees, the Iron Maiden was never used during the Middle
Ages but was a product of later myth-making. This device, along with other
supposed medieval torture tools, was fabricated to portray the past as more
brutal than it was.
The Iron Maiden Torture Device
The Iron Maiden, often thought to be a medieval torture device, is actually an 18th-century hoax. First mentioned by German philosopher Johann Philipp Siebenkees, the Iron Maiden was never used during the Middle Ages but was a product of later myth-making. This device, along with other supposed medieval torture tools, was fabricated to portray the past as more brutal than it was.
The Iron Maiden Torture Device: an 18th-Century Hoax