10 of the Most Shocking Things about Medieval Prisons - Listverse (2024)

While modern correctional facilities are often criticized for substandard conditions or treatment, prisons operating during the much more brutal medieval age were truly horrendous. Although, some aspects of incarceration at this time were surprising for other reasons. Not only did these places, sometimes housed in castle dungeons, tend to be filthy, but the punishment doled out was often shockingly inhumane, even for crimes that would only be considered minor offenses today. From humiliation to torture, these are 10 of the most shocking things about medieval prisons.

Related: 10 of the Fiercest Orders of Medieval Knights

10 Creepy Locations

Unlike today’s prisons, which typically have their own buildings or complexes, prisons in medieval Europe were sometimes located in basem*nts of houses, the town tower, or even in dungeons often built underneath castles specifically for this purpose. The facilities were known for being dark, dirty, and moldy places.

Many times, prisoners were placed in strange positions and chained to the walls or left in holes. There were also prisons in abbeys, specifically for disobedient monks, who might be held there for various kinds of insubordination, such as being rude to a senior monk. The first buildings dedicated to solely lodging prisoners in Britain were not constructed until the twelfth century.^[1]

9 Torture

When the average person thinks about medieval prisons, the practice of torture is probably the most terrifying thing that comes to mind. These methods were often used to coerce or force a confession out of a suspect. Among these horrifyingly creative devices prisoners were subjected to was a torture chair called the Judas Cradle or Judas Chair, named after the biblical Judas, who memorably betrayed Christ. An individual might spend hours or even days being in this triangle-shaped chair. The prisoner “would be positioned above the point of the pyramid, either suspended by ropes or lowered onto the device, with their weight gradually forcing the sharp tip into their body.”

The rack was another extremely painful torture device used during this era. Closely associated with the prison inside the Tower of London, which mainly held those accused of political crimes, the rack was a popular tool used to get inmates to confess and to snitch on others, beginning in the 14th century. When they were on the rack, these prisoners suspected of religious heresy or treason would have their ankles and wrists tied with ropes, which the warders would pull on, dislocating the person’s joints.^[2]

8 Slavery

In most areas of Europe during the early Middle Ages, it wasn’t unusual for prisoners to lose even more of their freedom by becoming enslaved. There were some significant differences between this and other forms of slavery, including the purpose behind it. Generally speaking, the enslavement of prisoners was not specifically intended to supply cheap labor to wealthy individuals. As an article on Medievalists.net notes,” Its fundamental aim was social control taken in a wider sense.”

So this type of slavery was used more as a punishment intended to deter crime. The practice of turning certain prisoners of war into slaves actually began long before medieval times. In Ancient Greece, captured pirates and POWs were frequently subjected to slavery.^[3]

7 Food

Before the 19th century, prisoners in Britain were expected to pay for their own food or pay for the privilege of using the kitchen to cook their own meals. This was actually a major source of income for warders. Author Peter Higginbotham explains in Pain, Penance, and Protest that the prices were based on the rank of a prisoner and where meals were served. It wasn’t just that the typically more prosperous aristocrats were charged a higher rate than commoners, but the upper classes were charged on a scale that reflected their level of prominence. For example, lords were charged more than knights. Rank also affected how the prisoners were treated, meaning jail was less of a hardship for those from prominent backgrounds, especially those who could afford to pay fees for a more comfortable stay.

The food could range from good nutritious meals to gruel. In some cases, prisoners received food from charities or friends and family, but shockingly, jailers were not obligated to feed inmates who did not pay for or provide their own food. Incarcerated people who had refused to enter a plea when they were arraigned were often placed on what was known as “the diet,” consisting of simple bread made from either bran or barley and water to drink, while some were starved.^[4]

6 Crimes that Warranted Jail Time

There weren’t very many actual prisons in medieval times, compared to today, mainly because of the expense. So communities usually opted for more cost-effective methods of punishment like mutilation or execution. However, the penalties for some very serious crimes were shockingly mild by comparison. While men who committed murder in Britain were unusually let off with a fine, it is just as surprising to discover some of the offenses that prompted jail time. During this era and long after, unpaid debt was punishable by prison.

In 1266, a British law was enacted that fixed the price of bread and ale. Violating a statute discouraging competition among bakers, known as the Assize of Bread and Ale, was often punished with a fine, but those who habitually broke this law could be sentenced to confinement at the pillory. According to the English Heritage website, members of Britain’s working class were ordered to “stop playing football and practice archery instead, the latter being necessary for the defense of the realm.” You could potentially receive six days in prison for playing medieval football, which was much more violent than the modern British version of the game.^[5]

5 The Pillory

In medieval York and many other places, the intention behind imprisoning someone was not to punish but merely to hold a suspect in custody until their trial. However, they sometimes had a very long wait, up to ten years. So, if prison wasn’t necessarily considered to be punishment during this era, what was? In addition to hard labor, mutilation, and execution, another option was the pillory or stocks, which were meant to penalize lawbreakers by publicly humiliating them.

In the town market or similar venue, prisoners would be on display, confined to a framework that included a plate with holes for their head and hands as passersby taunted and ridiculed them. According to the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre, “The pillory was used for a range of moral and political crimes, most notably for dishonest trading—the modern equivalent of implementing trading standards.”

There were versions of this uncomfortable device in France and Germany and eventually the American colonies. The punishment was not limited to verbal harassment. Sometimes, people would throw rotten fruit, vegetables, or eggs at them. The most disturbing thing about the pillory is that while individuals were usually locked in it, there were cases in which prisoners were nailed to the frame.^[6]

4 Special Categories of Prisons

There were some interesting types of prisons during medieval times, including a forest prison in York specifically for those who violated what was known as the “rules of the forest.” This was milder than the penalty for the crime of hunting deer in the royal forest, which, from 1198 to 1217, was punished with the castration and blinding of offenders

The special prisons set up for wayward clergymen were preferable to the mainstream jails. This enticed many people accused of crimes to plead clergy, identifying themselves as men of the Church so that they would be “eligible to be tried within the Church where the punishments were much more lenient,” according to the History of York website. Historically, apartments below castles had been used to detain noble captives under house arrest. As time went on, real prisons were constructed on the premises of castles, such as inside or underneath gatehouses.^[7]

3 Lack of Isolation from the Community

During the medieval era in Britain and parts of Europe, there was surprisingly little division between those in jail and the law-abiding citizens. Prisoners weren’t nearly as isolated from the surrounding community as they are today and would frequently mix with people outside of jail. There are even reports of prostitutes being smuggled into these jails.

In some cases, Inmates were allowed freedom to come and go from the prison. In his book The Medieval Prison, author Guy Geltner describes the abundance of interaction incarcerated people in the Italian cities of Bologna, Florence, and Venice had with society in general. According to Geltner, most inmates at these facilities were not actually locked up, though authorities exerted more control over their daily lives.^[8]

2 Ways to Get Out of Prison

During medieval times, interesting criteria were sometimes used in decisions to release prisoners early. One practice known as “prisoner offerings” was a regular occurrence in Italy. Incarceration and punishment for crimes were closely tied to religion in this era due to the spiritual redemption that many societies sought for criminals. Prisoner offerings were regarded as a charitable action. The Towns of Italy in the Later Middle Ages notes, “This was often attached by governments to specific, important feast-days, with the released prisoners being considered part of the city’s offerings to the patron saint.”

Another way to have a prisoner released was to pay a ransom. In the case of private imprisonment, which was often prompted by financial debt or some other dispute between neighbors, individuals were held in captivity, sometimes in a dungeon, until a relative or someone else paid a ransom to have them released. As governments gradually gained more authority, it became less acceptable for citizens to take matters into their own hands. Prisoners of war were frequently held for ransom, as well.^[9]

1 Self-Imprisonment

There was a time when a significant number of individuals chose to be walled up in a cell alone for the rest of their lives. The 11th and 12th centuries saw a rise in the popularity of the Anchoritic life, in which men and women decided to withdraw from society, leaving behind worldly pleasures in favor of an “ascetic life dedicated to prayer and the Eucharist,” according to The Collector website.

Obviously, there are some important differences between this and other types of imprisonment. Unlike most prisoners, anchorites volunteered to live this way, and the practice was based on religious devotion rather than criminal justice. However, once they were inside, there was no turning back. They were not free to leave and were not allowed to be released. So, if the anchorite changed their mind and wanted out, which is easy to imagine, it was just too bad for them. They were considered dead to the world.

The documented existence of anchorites goes back well before the Middle Ages, as this was one of the earliest forms of monasticism in Christianity. However, the opportunity to be walled up for life arose from the church’s attempt to keep these people under control and quell potential heresy. Individuals who lived in the vicinity would bring food and take care of them.

For hermits who officially belonged to The Order of the Dead, the anchorites were an important part of their community, mainly because they inspired others to lead virtuous lives. However, some had the habit of exchanging gossip with visitors. The cells were often built onto churches and would have a hole in the wall that allowed the anchorite to view services. When they died, a pit inside the cell served as their burial place.^[10]

fact checked by Darci Heikkinen