11/03/2026
😬 The 1600s had a very strange legal system… If someone accused you of witchcraft, the court basically said:
“Don’t worry… we’ll just torture you until we’re sure.” 😅 That’s where devices like the Spanish Boot came in…
This brutal instrument was designed to crush the lower leg.
Iron plates were tightened around the shin, and wedges or screws increased the pressure until bones cracked, or simply the spikes would impale causing intense pain & oozing blood loss.
The goal was simple: force a confession… or force the accused to name others.
Devices like the Spanish boot, thumbscrews, and the st*****do were used in interrogations across parts of Europe — including places like 17th-century Scotland.
Many witch trials followed legal traditions influenced by manuals such as the
📜 Malleus Maleficarum — a guide that helped fuel centuries of fear and persecution.
But the darkest part of these trials wasn’t just the torture.
It was the chain reaction.
Under agony, prisoners often named neighbours, friends, even family members, triggering waves of accusations that could sweep through entire communities.
⚰️ One confession could doom dozens.
👻 Want to hear the chilling true stories of witchcraft, fear, and injustice in historic Bath?
Join us on the Scented Ghost Tours Bath, where history comes alive through storytelling, atmosphere… and even scent.
You’ll never look at Bath the same way again.
🎟️ Book your tour:
https://scentedghosttoursbath.co.uk/