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Baltics trip
Day 11 - 26th May - Tallinn, Estonia (Part 3)
We then entered the Medieval torture instrument museum. Some of the instruments were old hat, but here are some of the more exotic/interesting ones:
Malayan Boot - Finally, something that wretched country has given the world!
Violin of Disgrace: "Used in public on certain women that had caused some kind of scandal, or perhaps that had been a little too ill tempered or quarrelsome"
Impalement. This makes that X-ray of the telephone pole up the rectum look like nothing.
The infamous Pear of Anguish!!!
Aside: I like this item from Salzburg
Mask of Humiliation
Mask of Infamy: "This mask, real work of art of austrian origin... Pillory is the most famous [public humiliation] and its disappearence should make one wonder if in the meantime has not fallen into disuse the common ethic..."
Virgin of Nuremberg: "It got its name from the fact that its exterior resembled a Bavarian girl" (it was probably not named by Bavarians)
Bell Collar. The artefact was quite ordinary but I liked the description (especially the last bit):
"In recent centuries it was considered very important to maintain a reputation within a community.
Many punishments for more minor offenses were often designed not to draw blood, but rather to expose the offender to a scornful public.
The most famous of these devices is without a doubt the Pillory, whose disappearance from modern times makes us reflect, even if at the same time ethics in general have taken a fall. The offender wore the collar for longer or shorter periods of time, depending on the crime committed, and was required to walk the streets of his city, the bell serving to inform all he passed that he had been found guilty of some kind of misconduct. As with the majority of metal cuffs, the rubbing of the metal against the skin often provoked death due to a form of blood poisoning."
Breast torner: "After making its four spikes white-hot the torturer tore the breasts into pieces"
Hand saw: "it probably inflicted the worst of deaths, even worst of stake... The position itself, favouring the flowing of the blood to the brain, kept the victim conscious foran incredible long time"
The Vigil or Guided Cradle: "According to its inventor, Ippolito Marsili,the "Vigil" should have signified a turning point in the history of torture; a modern system of obtaining a confession without causing undue bodily harm. There would be no broken vertebrae, no sprained ankles or strained joints; the only thing that would be strained were the victims’ nerves. The idea was to keep the accused awake as long as possible; it was basically a kind of sleep torture... [It] took on many forms during the Inquisition to include the procedure described in the drawing seen with the contraption. The victim was hoisted above the tip of the pyramid and then repeatedly lowered onto it. The pointed tip was made to penetrate the anus, or to poke the testicles or the tip of victim’s spine, or in the case of a female victim, the penetration would be vaginal. The pain was excruciating and would often cause the victim to pass out."
Gridirion:
"In the past did not exist association as Amnesty International, and no one used to intervene in defence of those who fell in the hands of “justice”.
Therefore, the gaolers free-will was unlimited in choosing the most suitable means to get confession from the culprit.
It was, then, often used the gridirion.
The victim was tied up on the gridirion and then gradually “cooked” him in order to obtain a sincere repentance and confession that led to discovering other culprits.
And life goes on..."
We then went for dinner at Olde Hansa.
Random (?) building
At the third floor of the restaurant there was a woman with a jug of water who used it to wash guests' hands. Hah.
Olde Hansa Toilet
More from the toilet
I had foxberry juice, which tasted like cranberry.
Neptun's Feast: Salmon eggs, Andalusian fish, smoke-grilled salmon, herring, anchovies, quail eggs, Castle's fresh cheese, herb-bread with nuts, rye bread with smoked ham
The waitress's accent was a bit sing-song.
Smoked Elk. It was very tough - it could've been tree bark, and the herb taste was very strong (maybe Elk meat doesn't taste good so they must mask it). Hunters' food - tough and dry.
Eastern Lamb Stew ("Himalayan lamb dish with warming spices Mountain people style" on the menu)
Elk and Wild Boar with saffron reduction ("Burgermeister's game fillet" on the menu). The Elk had a very strong taste but it was okay.
Arabian Beef in Fig Sauce
The sides were lentils, barley with beans and a 'bean bag'.
The decor of the restaurant was more campy than Rozengral's in Riga, which more realistic and tasteful.
Menu:
The Bear meat was tempting but we didn't plump for it
Check out the feasts (we didn't have 4 people so we couldn't have them)
Beer, foxberry juice and wine
Apple and honey under a crispy coat with almond milk
Decor
Holy Spirit Church
Road named "Saiakang"
Great Guild (housing Estonian History Museum)
Marzipan museum - there's a museum for everything!!!