Ancient Machines; Learn about the ingenious technology behind some of the first death devices ever created-- as execution, torture and technology come together in the most frightening ways. History's most brutal contraptions, designed to torture, maim or execute their hapless victims. Have you ever watched the show Machines of Malice on the Discovery Channel?

The Tub-- Known as the punishment of 'sitting in the tub', the convicted person would be placed in a wooden tub with only their head sticking out. After that, the executioner would paint their faces with milk and honey; and soon, flies would begin to feed on them. The victim was also fed regularly and would end up swimming in their excrement. After a few days, maggots and worms would devour their body as they decayed alive. Did you know about this punishment?

The Brazen Bull-- Also known as the Sicilian Bull; The victim would be placed inside the bull and a fire set underneath it until the metal became literally yellow as it was heated. The victim would then be slowly roasted to death all while screaming in agonizing pain. The bull was purposely designed to amplify these screams and make them sound like the bellowing of a bull. Are you familiar with this form of punishment?

Impalement-- Given his name, it should come as no surprise that this was the most favored method of execution by Vlad the Impaler. In 15th century Romania; the victim was forced to sit on a sharp and thick pole. When the pole was then raised upright, the victim was left to slide down the pole with their own weight. It could take the victim 3 days to die using this method and it has been said that Vlad once did this to 20,000 people all while enjoying a meal. Do you know of this sick history in Romania?

The Judas Cradle-- Closely related to impalement, this detestable punishment entailed having the victim sit on the pyramid-shaped cradle, after which they would be forced down on it by ropes with the intent of stretching the victim's orifice over a long period of time, slowly impaling them. To add to the overall humiliation, the victim was usually naked and the device was rarely washed. So if the torture did not kill you, the infection contracted from it would. Are you familiar with this form of punishment?

Guillotine-- One of the most notorious forms of executions, the guillotine was made of a razor sharp blade attached to a rope. The victim's head was placed in the middle of the frame as the blade dropped, severing the victim's head from the body. Since the decapitation was considered to be an instant and painless event, it was often considered the most humane method of execution. Are you familiar with this form of punishment?

The Rack-- Designed to dislocate every joint of the victim's body, it was believed to be the most painful form of medieval torture. One the victim was bound and placed on top of the rack, the torturer would proceed to turn the handle. Eventually, the victim would be stretched till his limbs where dislocated. The torturers, however, would continue to turn the wheel until the limbs where completely torn off the victim's body. Is this the most brutal of them all?

Rat Torture-- Being in an enclosure with rats is torture enough; but apparently, this is not enough for medieval times. One of the most sadistic of all torture techniques involved having a cage with one open side strapped against the victim's body. It would then be filled with large N.Y.C rodents and a heating element which would be placed on the other side of the cage. The rodent's natural instinct led them to flee the intense heat. In order to escape they would burrow through the victim's body with fatal results. Have you heard that rats can chew through steel, brick, and concrete?

Spanish Donkey-- One of the torture devices during the Spanish Inquisition, this is probably one of the most gruesome of them all. The victim is put astride, naked, on a donkey-like apparatus, which is actually a vertical wooden board with a sharp V-wedge on top of it. After that, the torturer would add varying weights to the victim's feet until finally the wedge sliced through the victim's body. Have you ever been to the Museum of Death in Hollywood CA?

Saw Torture-- In this method, the victim is hung upside down, so that the blood will rush to their heads and keep them conscious during the long torture. The torturer would then saw through the victims' bodies until they were completely sawed in half. Most were cut up only in their abdomen to prolong their agony. Are you in any way interested in watching shows like this?

Hanged, Drawn, and Quartered-- During medieval times, in England, this torture technique, the victim is dragged in a wooden frame called a hurdle to the place of execution. They would then be hanged by the neck for a short period of time until they are near-death (hanged), followed by disembowelment and castration where the entrails and genitalia are burned in front of the victim (drawn). The victim would then be divided into four separate parts and beheaded (quartered). Is this the worst of them all?