THE SPANISH INQUISITION The Inquisition was launched to

THE SPANISH INQUISITION • The Inquisition was launched to purify Spanish society, especially of conversos who they believed were returning to their Jewish faith • This lapse of faith was believed to be heresy

PROVING A LAPSE OF FAITH • Any traditionally “Jewish” rituals or behaviors could be considered a lapse of faith. • Examples: • not eating pork • Not working Friday night-Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath, Christian Sabbath is Sunday) • Eating traditionally Jewish food (Kosher)

INQUISITION METHODS • Under Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor, the Inquisition sought to find these heretics • To get confessions, inquisitors would threaten and torture • Thousands were tortured, imprisoned for life and/or burned at the stake in auto de fe (Act of Faith)

INQUISITION METHODS

CAT'S PAW • The Cat's Paw was used by the Spanish. • It was attached to a handle and was an extension of the torturer's hand. • It was used to rip and tear flesh away from the bone, from any part of the body. 5

INQUISITIONAL CHAIR • The chair was wooden construction with up to 2, 000 metal spikes. • The victim was strapped within the chair using tight leather straps. • The initial pain of hundreds of sharp rusty spikes penetrating the flesh could always be increased by the torturer pressing the prisoner down or back against the spikes. 6

SPANISH LADDER • The wrists were tied to one of the rungs, the feet tied to the bottom cylinder. • Each turn stretched the victim further and further until the shoulders were dislocated. 7

THE BOOTS • The boots was made up of wedges that fitted the legs from ankles to knees. • Pure pain ensues when the torturer violently pounds the wedges with a large, heavy hammer. • A process that is done repeatedly until flesh and bone are completely destroyed. 8

EAR CHOPPER • Used as an efficient way to cut the ears from the victim. • The helmet was placed on the head; the ears sticking out just under the blades. • All it took was a quick chop and the ears would be amputated. 9

TONGUE TEARER • First, the mouth is forced open with the Mouth Opener. • Next, the iron Tongue Tearer was used to grab the tongue within it's rough grippers. • Once a firm hold was maintained, the screw could be firmly tightened and the tongue was roughly torn from the prisoner's head. 10

FOOT PRESS • Fit a single foot between a sharp, ribbed iron plate and a bar of metal attached to a long screw. • When the screw was turned, the bar crushed the foot into a mangled pulp. 11

IRON GAG • To quiet the screams of a victim. A small hole in the front allowed air to pass in and out but muffled any screams. • A torturer could press a single fingertip to the air-hole and create an extremely distressing situation for the accused. 12

KNEE SPLITTER • Split victims' knees open • The blocks are turned, causing the two blocks to close towards each other and effectively destroy a victim's knee.

GUILLOTINE • The blade would be dropped separating the head from the body. • The head would neatly drop into a waiting basket, to be retrieved by the executioner and displayed to the crowd gathered to watch. 14

AUTO DE FE

JEWS EXPELLED • Torquemada decided that the reason so many conversos were heretics was that Spanish Jews were a bad influence, so hundreds of thousands of Jews were forced from Spain

SPAIN A UNIFIED CATHOLIC COUNTRY • The Inquisition and expelling of the Jews and Moors was so successful, that by the 1500’s, Spain was almost completely Catholic • In the process, Isabella and Ferdinand became the most powerful king and queen in Europe