In the 16th century, the Dutch Inquisition, under the aegis of Charles V and Philippe II, was part of an intense religious repression, aimed at eradicating Protestant heresy in the Spanish Netherlands. This institution, although less documented than its Spanish counterpart, has marked history by its cruelty and its methods of torture, including the cradle of Judas, an instrument as simple as it is effective. Used to extort confessions, this device embodied a form of inverted torture, where prolonged suffering was deemed more formidable than death itself.
The cradle of Judas, sometimes called Judas chair, consisted of a seat in the shape of a pointed pyramid, suspended by strings. The victim, often naked, was hoisted using a winch and placed on the tip, inserted in the anus or the vagina. The weight of the body, combined with movements orchestrated by the executioner, amplified pain at each balance or descent. Unlike rapid execution, this method was aimed at breaking the tortured psychologically and physically, sometimes over several days. The infection, due to the unhealthiness of the system, often completed the victims in a slow agony. This torture, although its exact use remains debated, symbolizes the extreme cruelty of the Inquisition.
The Dutch Inquisition was part of a tense political and religious context. Charles V, in 1522, appointed an inquisitor general for the Netherlands, aimed at strengthening Catholic control in the face of the rise of Protestantism. The heretics, considered as martyrs by the Reformed, were persecuted with violence which fueled the revolt against Spain, culminating in the war of eighty years (1566-1648). The stories of the time, like those of Antonio Del Corro, describe a ruthless institution, where each accused was presumed guilty, and the torture, like the cradle of Judas, served to terrorize the population.
The representations of the Inquisition, amplified by Protestant propaganda, have forged a sustainable image of cruelty. 16th century pamphlets, such asSaint Inquiry Spanish ArtsFrom Del Corro, sometimes exaggerated horrors to discredit Catholic Spain. However, the archives confirm the use of brutal methods, although less systematic than it is claimed. The cradle of Judas, by its simplicity and its effectiveness, embodied this psychological terror, where humiliation and pain preceded rapid death.
This dark period left an indelible imprint in the collective imagination. Torture stories, amplified by lights and romantics, have made the Inquisition a symbol of obscurantism. However, contemporary historians nuance this vision, stressing that torture, although real, was framed by strict rules, limiting for example its duration. Despite these nuances, the cradle of Judas remains a testimony to the human capacity to invent tortures of an incredible cruelty, where prolonged suffering surpassed the horror execution.
