Scold's Bridle: The 'ghost' that haunted women in the Middle Ages
Throughout human history, the Middle Ages have been associated with brutal torture and punishment, especially for women. One of the most notorious torture devices was the Scold's Bridle , a device specifically designed to gag women.
What is Scold's Bridle?
The Scold's Bridle was an iron device, consisting of a cage-like structure around the head, consisting of a metal frame that encircled the face, and a sharp iron gag attached to press against the wearer's tongue. The primary purpose of this device was to prevent women from speaking or communicating verbally.
The Scold's Bridle was not only intended to silence the wearer, but also to be a means of public humiliation. Women wearing the Scold's Bridle were often forced to parade around town, while the surrounding people could freely mock them and even throw objects at them. It was a way for the authorities of the time to maintain order and moral discipline, and a tool to control and subdue women's voices.
More than just punishment, Scold's Bridle was also a means of public humiliation.
History and Origin of Scold's Bridle
The exact origins of the Scold's Bridle remain unclear, but the device appears in documents from the 14th century , when a character in Geoffrey Chaucer's work mentions the idea of "whether she were bolted with a bridle".
However, official records of the use of the Scold's Bridle do not appear until the 16th century , when the device was first used in Scotland. In 1567, an Edinburgh law stipulated that those who were considered to have committed an offense or were considered to be of "poor moral character" would be forced to wear the Scold's Bridle. The device then spread to England and other parts of Europe, such as Germany, and became a means of punishing women for what men at the time considered "incorrigible" or "beyond the bounds of a woman's duty."
People who are offensive or deemed to be of "poor moral character" are forced to wear the Scold's Bridle.
What kind of women should wear the Scold's Bridle?
In the Middle Ages, society was very prejudiced against women, and if a woman was considered to be 'talkative' or 'arguing' with her husband, she could be punished with the Scold's Bridle. The term 'scold' at that time meant a woman who was nagging, disturbing the peace of her neighbors, or opposing her husband or priest. These 'talkative' women also included those who gossiped, cursed, or committed blasphemy—that is, criticizing or showing contempt for the gods or the church.
Historical records indicate that the Scold's Bridle was used not only to "control" ordinary women, but also to silence women with "loose" morals, that is, those who were deemed to not adhere to the strict moral codes of the time. The device was even used as a punishment for women who preached in public, when they constantly called for changes in society.
A typical case is Dorothy Waugh, a Quaker missionary woman who was forced to wear the Scold's Bridle and endured the device's restraints for hours.
If a woman was seen as "talkative" or "disobedient" to her husband, she could be punished with Scold's Bridle.
Scold's Bridle and other cruel punishments
Besides Scold's Bridle, many other forms of punishment were also used to humiliate and control women's voices. The two most common forms of punishment were cucking stool and ducking stool.
A cucking stool was a chair with straps, often used to tie up a woman accused of being a talkative or gossipy person. The punished person might be forced to sit on the stool and paraded around town or even left in a public place to endure the ridicule of the crowd. Later, the cucking stool evolved into the ducking stool, a more cruel form of punishment.
The woman is tied to a chair and repeatedly dunked into water, endangering her life by shock or drowning. Ducking stools are often performed in village ponds or rivers, causing the victim to endure extreme fear and a sense of public humiliation.
Ducking stool punishment.
Social Changes and the End of Scold's Bridle
The 19th century, along with the development of gender equality ideas, brought about a major change in society's perception of the punishment of women. In England, in 1821, a judge officially ordered the destruction of Scold's Bridle, claiming that this "barbaric relic" was no longer suitable for society. He asserted that such punishment only demonstrated the brutality and inhumanity of the previous era.
By 1856, the last recorded use of the Scold's Bridle in England had ended. Punishments such as the Scold's Bridle were thus officially a thing of the past, ending a dark chapter in Western social history.
By 1856, the last recorded use of Scold's Bridle in England was over.
However, the story of Scold's Bridle reminds us of the historical efforts to suppress women's voices and rights, manifested through violence and public humiliation. While such forms of torture have been abolished, the policing of women's voices still exists in many forms. Restrictions on free speech and gender discrimination remain major problems in many places, and the story of Scold's Bridle is a reminder that we must be vigilant in ensuring freedom and equality for all, regardless of gender.
Today, gender equality is widely recognized around the world, and efforts to fight for fairness and freedom of speech continue. However, the story of Scold's Bridle shows that society's oppression of women is not just a problem of the past, but also a reminder of the importance of protecting human rights and individual freedom.
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