Emily Chan
The Middle Ages was an era fraught with fear, superstition, and brutal methods of torture. Women, in particular, faced harrowing punishments if they were deemed guilty of any crimes, whether real or imagined.
These punishments often involved cruel devices designed to break their spirits and humiliate them. One of those instruments was the Scold’s Bridle, which was used from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
Scold’s Bridles were fitted iron masks that were strapped onto a person’s head. The mask came with a gag and prevented the person from speaking.
Women who were accused of gossiping, arguing, or sinning were forced to wear the device. They were then paraded around town so people could mock them and throw objects at them.
The Scold’s Bridle was originally invented as a punishment for people who were “scolds.” A scold was a term used to describe women who gossiped, nagged, quarreled loudly, slandered others, or spoke out of turn in any way. It was rarely ever used to refer to men.
Scold’s Bridles did not all have identical designs, but they were very similar to each other. One of the most common designs was an iron mask that looked like a cage for the head.
There was a lock at the back and a metal gag to hold the tongue down. According to the National Trust for Scotland, some of the devices actually had spikes that would cut the wearer’s tongue if they attempted to speak.
The earliest reference to Scold’s Bridle appeared in the 14th century. The first actual documentation of its use didn’t come about until 1567 in Scotland.
In Edinburgh, there was a law stating that anyone who behaved immorally or committed blasphemy would have to wear the iron mask.
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