Psych Torture of the Golden Age

[Red_Dawn]

Because having my protagonists de-nail innocents for information is the wrong kind of cheese.

Wikipedia has a couple lists of psych tortures that seem doable for the time, and I could think up a few myself. I'd like to know what used at the time, though, partly for research and partly out of curiosity.

Thanks!

[Mission]

Most of the tortures I have read about were physical. It seems to have been more common to do cruel things to someone then than it is now.

I do seem to recall a story of the pirates putting all the captured ship's crew into a room with no windows, taking one out and then torturing that one nearby so that the others could hear the sound of their cries. The pirates figured the rest of the prisoners would be more likely to tell where their treasure was hidden when they were brought before them.

Still, probably not stuff for a re-enactment... although I have seen a similar technique used in a haunted house.

[Fox]

There are a couple of incidents of pirates hanging a victim, then cutting them down just before they died, only to string them up two or three more times. Physically unpleasant though that must have been, I suspect the psychological side of it must have been hideous.

There are also a remarkable number of accounts of pirates pointing their pistols at victims and pulling the trigger, only to misfire. I've often wondered if a few of those weren't deliberate misfires to inflict the same kind of fear as the hanging.

[Elena]

Threatening to kill their families. A man would tell anything to save his only son or his daughter...

[Red_Dawn]

Thanks, guys!

I do seem to recall a story of the pirates putting all the captured ship's crew into a room with no windows, taking one out and then torturing that one nearby so that the others could hear the sound of their cries. The pirates figured the rest of the prisoners would be more likely to tell where their treasure was hidden when they were brought before them.

Torture by proxy might be more physical than I was looking for, but it's certainly something to keep in mind for pirates who aren't the protagonists.

There are also a remarkable number of accounts of pirates pointing their pistols at victims and pulling the trigger, only to misfire. I've often wondered if a few of those weren't deliberate misfires to inflict the same kind of fear as the hanging.

I can see my characters trying something like that!

"So you won't talk, eh? Then eat lead!"

*pulls out gun he knows is unloaded*

Click. Click.

"Aw, d___n it! Someone get me a better pistol!"

*Prisoner sings like a canary*

Threatening to kill their families. A man would tell anything to save his only son or his daughter...

Classic and potentially cheesy; I like that.

[Daniel]

Walking the plank could be considered a form of psychological torture. It wasn't done during the Golden Age, but there are several verified 19th century instances of it. It was normally just a prelude to murder, but it could be used by itself as a psychological torture.

If I recall rightly, actual mock executions (a tactic that is still with us) were inflicted on some prisoners, who in some cases were required to pick their own executioners.

It may not have been intentional, but Blackbeard's locking the captured prisoners of Charleston together in the dark below decks, the high class folks with the servants, was considered clear evidence of murderous intent, and Blackbeard threatened them once that they had not two hours to live. The effect on the high-class prisoners was fearsome.

[Red_Dawn]

Thanks, Daniel!

If I recall rightly, actual mock executions (a tactic that is still with us) were inflicted on some prisoners, who in some cases were required to pick their own executioners.

Man, that's cold!

It may not have been intentional, but Blackbeard's locking the captured prisoners of Charleston together in the dark below decks, the high class folks with the servants, was considered clear evidence of murderous intent, and Blackbeard threatened them once that they had not two hours to live. The effect on the high-class prisoners was fearsome.

Am I sick for finding something cheesy about that situation? Now my morbid curiosity is piqued and wants to know if this fearsome effect involved grown men weeping.

[Red_Dawn]

I cross-posted this question to the writers' forum and someone pointed out that a character that uses something resembling torture wouldn't come off as good guys (a good point, even though my protagonists are criminal jerks). It made think of another question to ask about psych torture: was it even consider "real torture" back then? Thanks!

[Fox]

I cross-posted this question to the writers' forum and someone pointed out that a character that uses something resembling torture wouldn't come off as good guys (a good point, even though my protagonists are criminal jerks). It made think of another question to ask about psych torture: was it even consider "real torture" back then? Thanks!

In the case of, say, the repeated hanging that I mentioned above, for example, it's doubtful whether anyone would have used the actual word 'torture', but they were certainly cognisant of its deeply unpleasant nature.

However, I would add that you have here a bit of a classic triangle: your protagonists can be pirates, they can be good guys, and they can be historically accurate, but only two of the above at once.

[Red_Dawn]

In the case of, say, the repeated hanging that I mentioned above, for example, it's doubtful whether anyone would have used the actual word 'torture', but they were certainly cognisant of its deeply unpleasant nature.

Sounds like I've considerably underestimated the brutality of the time.

However, I would add that you have here a bit of a classic triangle: your protagonists can be pirates, they can be good guys, and they can be historically accurate, but only two of the above at once.

Oh trust me, they're not good guys! (insert evil grin smilie here) They may not be going to Hell, but they'll be spending more time in Purgatory than they do on earth. (My protagonists, that is; their shipmates may be a bit nastier.) The psych torture thing is chiefly so they can delude themselves that they're better people than other pirates. "Hey, at least we only remove fingernails as a last resort!"

[Swashbuckler 1700]

There are a couple of incidents of pirates hanging a victim, then cutting them down just before they died, only to string them up two or three more times. Physically unpleasant though that must have been, I suspect the psychological side of it must have been hideous.

There are also a remarkable number of accounts of pirates pointing their pistols at victims and pulling the trigger, only to misfire. I've often wondered if a few of those weren't deliberate misfires to inflict the same kind of fear as the hanging.

Russian roulette is that old.. hmmmm

Who was the pirate who tore the guts out of the one victim's belly? Low, some of his company or someone else? But this question is more about other torture.

Edited May 7, 2012 by Swashbuckler 1700

[Grymm]

I cross-posted this question to the writers' forum and someone pointed out that a character that uses something resembling torture wouldn't come off as good guys (a good point, even though my protagonists are criminal jerks). It made think of another question to ask about psych torture: was it even consider "real torture" back then? Thanks!

It always works for Bond or the chap from Die Hard and numerous other'anti hero types' or dare I say it various western 'anti terrorist' organisations, you just have to make sure the torturees are nastier than the tortureres

or have done REALLY naughty things.