The simple but horrific heretic fork torture method that is ‘one of the worst ways to die’ in history

While death isn’t exactly a pleasant idea, there’s no denying there’s ‘better’ ways of facing it than being tortured.

And looking back through the history books certainly makes that more and more clear as us humans came up with some pretty horrific devices.

From the infamous Brazen Bull to the Breaking Wheel, it’s not easy to pick out the most brutal method invented. While some of these torture creations seem quite complex (there’s one that would wound your tongue if you spoke) a simpler yet horrific method is described as ‘one of the worst ways to die’ in history.

The Heretic’s Fork was invented way, way, back to deliver the ‘merited’ torture to witches and heretics.

Imagine that being lodged under your chin. (YouTube/@the_deep_dive)

Believed to have been conjured up during the late Middle Ages, it’s perhaps so bad because it won’t instantly kill you. In fact, if you did end up dying because of it, it would be quite the long, slow and painful process.

A two-pronged fork would be placed between the victim’s breastbone and the chin, forcing them to have their chin tilted up from their chest.

The whole idea was that religious men could stop heretics from spreading heresy. So, with the double-ended fork held in place with a collar around their neck, if they tried to speak they would be painfully injured.

They would be left suffering in continuous pain while the Heretic’s Fork is in place and unable to move their head and lower jaw without causing the device to pierce through.

It’s said that even the most persistent heretics of the Church would end up confessing if they had to stay in this invention for such a long time.

It sounds hellish. (YouTube/@the_deep_dive)

Of course, they could put an end to it all by absolutely throwing their head back or forwards to cause the fork to pierce through in a deathly way.

However, the length of the fork’s teeth was designed so that even when the heretic tilted far enough, death would not be instantaneous.

Some do say the Heretic’s Fork was a fictional device but this has long been debated.

As users watch simulations of the horrific torture method online they say it makes them ‘grateful for being born in the 21^st Century’.

“Everyone born in the modern times have a blessed day,” another echoed.

Of course, torture devices are unfortunately still used these days, there’s no ignoring that as one user quipped about the creations: “Aren’t humans just a wonderful species.”