A scold's bridle, sometimes called a witch's bridle, a gossip's bridle, a brank's bridle, or simply branks, [1] was an instrument of punishment, as a form of public humiliation. [2]

Apr 22, 2023 · In 1789, a farmer in Lichfield used iron branks on a woman in order to “to silence her clamorous Tongue” according to the Museum of Witchcraft And Magic. In addition to wearing the bridle, the farmer also forced the woman to walk around a …

The branks torture mask, also known as the scold’s bridle, was a heinous instrument used primarily to silence and punish women who were seen as troublesome or disobedient during the medieval period.

The Brank’s or Scold’s Bridle was a torture device commonly used to punish women in medieval times, it was considered a “lesser” kind of torture device during the medieval period.

May 5, 2016 · A branked scold in New England, from an 1885 lithograph. It was widely believed that only through pain and suffering could a person achieve innocence after a crime was committed. The bridle (or branks) was a form of mirror punishment, which relies on …

Oct 7, 2022 · An Iron 'scold's bridle' or 'branks' mask, with large nose piece, grotesque ears and two horns, used to publicly humiliate and punish, mainly women, for speaking out against authority.

The scold’s bridle, also known as “branks” in Britain, was a metal apparatus designed to fit over the head and encase the face of the wearer. Its primary function was to silence and shame …

The Scold’s Bridle stands as a haunting reminder of the cruelty and inequality faced by women in centuries past. It symbolizes a dark period in history when societal norms were enforced through fear, pain, and public humiliation.

The Rector of Whitchurch has in his possession a brank, which was formerly used by the town and union authorities. At Market Drayton are two branks: one is the property of the Lord of the Manor, and the other formerly belonged to the Dodcot Union.

Jan 18, 2019 · While there are recorded cases of men being sentenced to wear the ‘branks’, as the Scold’s Bridle was also known, it was a misogynistic device applied by men on women who were said to be gossips or disputatious.