Thomas Wedders: The Man With the World’s Longest Nose, That’s one sizable snooter!
From Nation, For Nation - Pulse of the Nation
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5 Medieval Torture Devices That'll Make Your Skin Crawl
The Middle Ages earned their nickname-the Dark Ages-for a reason. While modern historians argue the era wasn’t as bleak as it seems, a quick look at the torture devices of the time makes it easy to understand how the label stuck.
From humiliating punishments to brutal pain-inducing contraptions, these devices reveal just how far societies have gone in the name of justice, control, and confession. Some were real. Some were exaggerated. And some might have been created purely to scare.
Here are five of the most chilling Medieval torture devices from the pages of history-and from the Ripley’s collection.
1. The Brank Mask: Public Humiliation in Iron
Sometimes called the “scold’s bridle,” the Brank Mask was used to punish those-often women-accused of gossip, slander, or other “nuisance” behavior. The heavy iron mask clamped over the head often featured grotesque designs to reflect the accused’s supposed crime.
Wearing it wasn’t just uncomfortable-it was humiliating. The wearer would be paraded in public, a walking symbol of shame.
2. The Pillory: A Medieval Time-Out… With Rotten Tomatoes
The pillory, or stocks, didn’t draw blood, but it did break spirits. Locked in place by wooden boards, victims had their heads and hands immobilized in public squares-free for passersby to mock, spit at, or pelt with food and trash.
Reserved for petty crimes, the real punishment was humiliation. Some unlucky offenders were left for days, rain or shine, as a warning to others.
3. The Spiked Collar: Stay Still-Or Else
A terrifying twist on prisoner transport, the spiked collar was a circular iron band lined with inward-facing spikes. As long as the wearer stayed still, they were relatively safe. But any sudden movement-like trying to run-meant the spikes would pierce deep into the neck or throat.
This device was less about restraint and more about control-built on the threat of pain rather than the act itself.
4. The Torture Glove: Confession by Fire
Used during the Inquisition, the torture glove was filled with burning coals and locked around a victim’s hand. If they confessed, the glove might come off. If they didn’t? The fire kept burning.
This device wasn’t just designed to hurt-it was intended to cleanse the accused of sin through suffering. Pain, after all, was seen as purifying.
5. The Iron Maiden: Fact, Fiction, and Fear
Easily the most infamous of all torture devices, the Iron Maiden is a towering iron coffin lined with sharp spikes-positioned to pierce, but not kill... at least, not right away.
The most legendary version-the Iron Maiden of Nuremberg-is said to have been built around 1800, long after the medieval period had ended. Historians debate whether it was ever used or simply created to terrify and attract paying spectators. Regardless, the myth of the Iron Maiden looms large.
Some accounts say it was modeled after the Schandmantel, or "shame cloak," a barrel-like punishment device. Others link its origins to even older legends, like the Apega of Nabis-a spiked mechanical statue from Ancient Greece-and the gruesome Brazen Bull, which allegedly roasted victims alive inside a brass sculpture.
Believe It or Not!, Robert Ripley acquired an Iron Maiden during a trip to Germany and brought the eight-foot-tall device back for his collection. With 13 iron spikes and a legacy as mysterious as it is macabre, the Iron Maiden still haunts the halls of Ripley’s today.
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From Globe, For Globe - Pulse of the Planet
Ripley’s has always celebrated the wonderfully weird, and this story, well, strikes a chord... literally.
In Henderson, Nevada, fitness trainer Mateo Drottz is reimagining spin class with a surprising twist. While riders pedal hard on indoor bikes, Mateo plays the violin live, swapping pounding bass drops for soaring classical strings. The result? A workout that’s intense and oddly calming all at once.
A Workout That Hits Different
Most spin classes are built on loud, fast playlists designed to push riders to their limits. Mateo’s violin flips that script.
Mateo’s music brings focus and flow to the room, helping riders find rhythm in their movement and maybe even forget how hard they’re working (at least for a moment).
But this isn’t about perfect technique or sculpted six-pack abs.
More Than Fitness
For Mateo, his mashup of music and motion is about confidence, connection, and community. Riders come as they are, move at their own pace, and share a one-of-a-kind experience that feels more like a collective performance than a competition. It’s proof that fitness doesn’t have to be intimidating to be powerful.
A spin class led by a violinist might sound unbelievable, but that’s exactly why it belongs at Ripley’s. This incredible story is just one of the many real, strange, and inspiring features you’ll find inside our brand-new Ripley’s annual book.
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