Random Historical Torture Methods Designed To Make The Pain Last As Long As Possible (14 items)

(#13) Bamboo Impalement Could Be Accomplished In A Matter Of Days
Bamboo is known for its ability to grow extremely quickly. At some point in history, some sadistic individual had the brilliant idea of turning bamboo's fast growth into a way of slowly torturing people. Reports of bamboo torture in Ceylon started appearing in the 19th century, and many claim that it was used by the Japanese during WWII, but this has not been proven. Basically, bamboo torture involved letting bamboo grow into - and impale - a person.

A victim would be tied securely to a young bamboo shoot, and, over several days, the plant would enter their body and eventually come out the other side.
(#11) Immurement Ended Targets Through Claustrophobia And Starvation
Not to be confused with live burial, immurement involves a person being isolated and confined within narrow walls. The person's demise is caused by starvation, and they must watch as walls are slowly built around them. Immurement has been used across the world, but was used notably in Persia.

One account describes the potentially lengthy event: "The victim is put into the pillar, which is half built up in readiness; then if the executioner is merciful he will cement quickly up to the face, and death comes speedily. But sometimes a small amount of air is allowed to permeate through the bricks, and in this case the torture is cruel and the agony prolonged. Men bricked up in this way have been heard groaning and calling for water at the end of three days."
(#7) Rat Torture Allowed Rats To Eat A Person's Internal Organs
This gruesome torture method is scary enough to be have been featured on an episode of Game of Thrones, a show known for the heights to which it's willing to take a violent scene. Basically, during rat torture, several rats are placed on the stomach of the torture victim. A barrel is then strapped over the rats, trapping them inside. From there, the barrel is set on fire, and in their desperate bid to escape the flames, the rats eat their way through the target's internal organs.

With their sharp incisors, the rats will gnaw their way all the way through a person's back.
(#10) Breast Rippers Did Exactly What They Sound Like
Breast rippers were a special kind of device reserved for the "wickedest" women in medieval Europe. If you were a woman convicted of heresy, adultery, self-inflicted miscarriage, or any of a number of other crimes, then you could expect to be bound to a wall and have your breasts pulled from your body with this device.

Sometimes heated, sometimes left cold, breast rippers were essentially a large set of pincers that would pierce the flesh and slowly tear muscle from bone, marking and mutilating women for their misdeeds.
(#6) The Catherine Wheel Made Victims Wish For Decapitation
The "breaking wheel," also known as the Catherine wheel, was a torture device that sometimes resulted in a person's demise... if they were lucky. A Catherine wheel victim would be tied to the spokes of the very large wheel, and their bodies would be bent and contorted to match its shape. Once on the wheel, they would be stricken repeatedly in order break every bone in their body.

Once their bones were shattered, they were usually decapitated or had their throats slit, but they were sometimes left alive to suffer in agony.
(#9) Boiling Alive Was One Of Henry VIII's Fave Slow Torture Methods
A favorite method of King Henry VIII, being boiled alive can be an extremely drawn out process. Although being boiled at a consistently hot temperature for several minutes straight can quickly do the trick, this wasn't always the method used by torturers. In fact, some boiling involved lowering the liquid to an unbearably hot - but not quite boiling - temperature, torturing the victim.

Also, the liquid used for boiling was totally up to the torturer - oil and water were two favorite options.