The Spanish tickler or cat's paw is a type of torture instrument, consisting of long, sharp iron spikes curved so as to resemble claws. It was often attached to a handle, or else used as an extension of the torturer's hand. In this way it was used to rip and tear flesh away from the bone, from any part of the body. It was also used as a weapon.
The Spanish tickler or cat’s paw is a torture device so sharp and cleverly designed that bones and flesh will not get in its way. The cat’s paw was a 3-pronged device that shredded through human flesh. The Spanish tickler was a 4-pronged device very similar to the cat's paw. Often the device was placed on the end of a long stick, and torn down the person's back (although it was not limited to the back) as they were hung up by the wrists.
References
External links
- The Medieval Torture Museum in San Gimignano, Italy
- http://www.medieval-castles.org/index.php/the_cat_s_paw_torture_device
[[Category:Medieval instruments of torture]] [[Category:European instruments of torture]]