Dark Deeds in the Dark Ages

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Museum Curator Barbara Ribey looks askance as Santini offers to demonstrate  a device

Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre has taken a big leap to explore one of the worst parts of Medeaval life, torture.

While it may seem gruesome to many, the fact is torture played a key method of doling out justice and for interrogation in Medeaval times and Steve Santini has one of the largest collections of Medeaval instruments in North America.

Santini, an escape artist, billed as The Dark Master of Escape and who has been written up in Ripley's Believe It or Not, first became fascinated with the artisty of escape as a teenager.

"The more I researched the subject of 'escapology', the more fascinated I became with the past," he explains.  "Not simply the instruments that had been used that you see here but the history of Medieval life, culture and religion and it is all wrapped up together."

Santini explains that much of the torture that took place was based in superstition.  "It was a time when people believed in witches and paganism and used torture to get people to confess to its practices.  It was also used as part of meting out justice to criminals and political prisoners."

As he points however, some of the tools or instruments used were also intricately carved.  "Even though they were to be used for terrible purposes," he adds, "those who made them still took pride in creating something unique."

This is the first time the exhibit is being shown in a Canadian museum.  Santini acts as a consultant to several museums and many of his artefacts are in the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, D.C., from where John Walsh of America's Most Wanted does his television show.

The new exhibit, that opened November 26 and runs through to March 31st, is poised to give visitors a unique and seldom seen glimpse into ancient torture methods.  Made up of more than 30 items from Santini's personal collection, Santini hopes to educate on this dark period in human history.

"I'm the first to admit that the subject matter is controversial but it is also a very real facet of Medieval life and, unfortunately, a sad reality of our world today, as we've heard recently in the media about the treatment of prisoners throughout the world," Santini points out.  "This is the chance to see how our ancestors viewed criminal justice and superstitions and how we have evolved over the centuries."

Santini has spent more than 30 years collecting items from around the world and, particularly, in German and Europe where castles still exist where artefacts can still be found.

Santini demonstrates on Ribey how the device fits to prevent talking

Rendering of a victim on the infamous 'Rack'

The actual Rack

Although designed to prevent talking, the device didn't work on Cherie Duhaime

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Sunday, November 29, 2009