iron maiden

Various neo-medieval torture instruments. An iron maiden stands at the right, with its door opened to reveal the spikes on its interior surface.

The iron maiden is a mythical torture device, believed to have been first created in the 19th century. It consists of a solid iron cabinet with a hinged front and spike-covered interior, sufficiently tall to enclose a human being. While often popularly thought to have been used in the medieval period, there is no known mention of the iron maiden from before the 19th century. They have become a popular image in media involving the Middle Ages and involving torture chambers.