Pressing

By Crusader1307

Another simple and effective method of Torture and Execution, was ''Pressing''. Seen in use around the 14th Century, the procedure was used for such crimes as Heresy, Theft, providing false information (to name a few) and of course - Witchcraft. This was a slow and painful procedure. A Victim (Male or Female),  would be laid on a slab of stone (or the ground) face up. Normally they were tied (hands and feet). A large slab of heavy wood was placed on top of the Victim (to cover them up with the exception of their head). Administrators of the procedure would next place heavy stones or weights (one at a time) on the slab - increasing the weight gradually. The pressure would build up on the chest of the victim, slowly find breathing an impossible task - as the pressure against their chest was increased. Normally, persons would die from suffocation (hopefully). Ultimately, the weight would crush the chest cavity. This procedure could be made to take several days before death. This was a popular form of punishment for Catholics found in England during The Elizabethan Period (during The Persecutions).