A closer look
The Iron Maiden—a terrifying metal sarcophagus lined with interior spikes designed to slowly puncture a victim—is the absolute poster child of medieval brutality. There's just one tiny problem: it was completely made up by 18th-century scammers. The most famous one, the Iron Virgin of Nuremberg, was built long after the Middle Ages to milk cash out of gullible tourists wanting a cheap macabre thrill. They essentially bolted loose spikes into an old tin container and convinced the world it was a real execution tool.
