The carrion snatch consisted of an A-frame, metal frame to which the victim was tied so that their head was fixed at the top vertex, their hands at the midpoint, and their legs at the bottom ends. Using a system of rings, nuts, and bolts, the device compressed the body, forcing the knees toward the chest and the head down into an unnatural sitting position. As the executioner tightened the bolts, the pressure increased, breaking ribs, dislocating the sternum, and fracturing the spine. Blood spurted from the nose, ears, fingers, and face, while the pain became unbearable, according to contemporary descriptions. This method, conceived as the opposite of the rack —which stretched the body—sought to confine and crush, prolonging the agony.
The name Scavenger’s Daughter is curious and reflects the contrast with another instrument, the Duke of Exeter’s Daughter (the rack ), highlighting their complementarity in the torture chamber. Its use is particularly documented in England during religious persecutions, when Protestants were considered traitors to the Catholic Church under reigns such as that of Mary I, successor to Henry VIII. The Scavenger’s Daughter was particularly effective in obtaining quick confessions, as the extreme compression induced overwhelming psychological and physical suffering, although it rarely caused immediate death, allowing the torturer to prolong the torment.
Unlike other instruments such as the Judas cradle or the pear , designed to humiliate or mutilate, the Carrion’s Daughter was a work of macabre engineering, created to inflict devastating internal damage. Its compact and portable design made it ideal for torture chambers, where the mere sight of the device could break the will of the accused. According to publications in X, the pressure exerted was so intense that it caused bleeding from the ears and nose, a detail that underlines its brutality. Although less famous than the Iron Maiden , whose popularity is partly due to romanticized myths of the 19th century, the Carrion’s Daughter has a verifiable history, with records of its use at the Tower of London.
The Middle Ages, marked by the Inquisition and religious persecution, was a period where torture was considered a legitimate means to “purify” souls or punish heresies. Instruments such as the carrion’s daughter reflect the mentality of an era where suffering was seen as a path to redemption or justice. However, their cruelty did not go unnoticed even in their time, and the use of such devices contributed to the “Black Legend” of the Inquisition, especially in Protestant countries that denounced Catholic practices.
Today, the Scavenger’s Daughter remains a grim reminder of the human capacity for cruelty. Museums like the Inquisition Museum in Santillana del Mar, Spain, display replicas of similar instruments, inviting visitors to reflect on a past where pain was institutionalized. This artifact, though forgotten in comparison to others, encapsulates the perverse ingenuity of an era that is, thankfully, long gone. In discovering the Scavenger’s Daughter , we explore not only an object of torture, but a window into the complexities of medieval morality and justice, a legacy that invites us to value advances in human rights.
