8 Cruel Yet Kind of Hilarious Public Humiliation Contraptions

Who knew dressing someone up in a barrel was so popular?

Published 8 months ago in Wtf

Public humiliation has been used as a deterrent against crime for much of human history, with some pretty strange devices associated with it. The colonial era Brits had a special obsession with humiliation, especially when it came to controlling women, and those tendencies made their way into the early United States. And who knew dressing someone up in a barrel was so popular?

Here are eight bizarre public humiliation contraptions from history, and their sadistic uses.

1
Schandmantel
The Schandmantel, also known as the coat of shame, barrel of shame, or Spanish coat, was a barrel lined with painful sheet metal. It was worn mostly by poachers and promiscuous women, and towns folk would berate them and throw fruit at them.

2
The Pillory
Perhaps the most well known on this list, the Pillory was used as a way to restrain criminals for public humiliation. Similar to “Stocks,” the crime was often displayed next to the device for everyone to see. The ritual would often only last for a few hours, but in many cases punishments were more extreme, and victims could be whipped or worse.

3
Dunking Stools
Public humiliation punishments were especially common for women, and dunking stools were often used in 17th century England against women suspected of infidelity or witchcraft. Victims were strapped into the seat, lifted, and paraded around town for all to see. Others were dunked into ponds for extended periods, leading to many drownings. Those who drowned were deemed innocent of any witchcraft.
4
The Bankruptcy Barrel
In the mid 1800s and early 1900s, bankrupt men were depicted by wearing nothing but a barrel held up by suspenders. If they had once been wealthy, a top hat was included. The Bankruptcy Barrel functioned more as a symbol than a humiliation tactic in practice, however Union soldiers were known to force captured Confederates to wear them.

5
Shrew's Fiddle
A “shrew” was a term used to describe a woman who fought against her place in society, and a Shrew's Fiddle was often used to restrain that woman.
6
Scold's Bridle
Another device used against 17th century English women, this one was meant for those who were deemed too talkative or gossipy. The Bridle was a painful mask that held the wearer’s tongue in position, making it impossible to talk. It was also known as a “Brank.”
7
Drunkard's Cloak
Another barrel, this time for English drunks in the 1600s. This illustration also shows a Brank.

8
The Cage
Used in China in the Early 1900s, this device was used to restrain convicted criminals, allowing them to be publicly humiliated before their eventual deaths. This man was allegedly a river pirate with a long rap sheet.