The Rack

The Rack
   A person was tied hand and foot onto this table-like device, with the other ends of the rope were tied to large round pieces of wood that could be turned. When turned, the rope wrapped around the wood, creating great tension on the ropes. If the tension was strong enough, it would dislocate the person's arms and legs. There were only two racks in Britain. One was in the Tower of London, and the other in the Castle at Southampton. The Earl of Exeter invented the rack in Britain in the Middle Ages. Earlier versions of the rack were used in Ancient Egypt and Babylonia and in Italy around 1500 AD. See Torture and Ordeals.

The writer's dictionary of science fiction, fantasy, horror and mythology. 2014.

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