The answer is no — and yes. The widespread medieval use of iron maidens is an 18th-century myth, bolstered by perceptions of the Middle Ages as an uncivilized era.But the idea of iron-maiden ...

The iron maiden, which he pieced together from pieces of memorabilia, was meant to “show the dark spirit of the Middle Ages in contrast to the progress of humanity.” ...

OVER the decades, many have assumed that the iron maiden ... to pierce the bodies of those condemned to be locked inside – was a gruesome torture device used during the Middle Ages. ...