Scottish nobleman, Walter Stewart, was believed to have wanted the crown of King James I of Scotland for himself, but when he was found complicit in the King’s murder in February 1437, he received something much worse.
In March 1437, Walter Stewart was tortured for three days in a row. It was not your typical type of torture. His torture was made fairly public so that people would think twice before having a king murdered.
On the first day of torture, Stewart was hoisted up into the air and dropped with a sudden jerk to stretch his joints. He was then placed in a pillory and a red hot iron crown, inscribed with “King of all Traitors,” was placed on his head.
On the second day of torture, he was tied to a hurdle and dragged along the high street of Edinburgh. It was also believed that he was tortured with hot pincers and blinded.
Finally, on the third day of torture, he was disembowelled and forced to watch his entrails be burnt. Yes, he was still alive for that part.
His heart was then torn out and burnt, thus ending his life, but his punishment was not yet over.
To further humiliate Stewart after death, he was beheaded and quartered. His various body parts were displayed throughout Scotland.
Seventy-seven years later, another man was also given an iron crown of his own.
György Dózsa led a peasant revolt in Hungary.
He was captured in 1514 and met a most unfortunate end.
He was bound to a smoldering iron throne and a red hot iron crown placed on his head.
While he was being roasted to death, nine of his top men in the rebellion were brought to the scene. One of the men was his younger brother who was then cut into three for all to see. Next, chunks of Dózsa’s flesh were ripped from his body with pincers and force fed to the remaining, starved men. A few of the men refused the meat and were cut apart. However, the men who ate the flesh were released and allowed to leave.
