Did you know that in the 16th and 17th centuries, some women were punished simply for being considered too outspoken?

The scold's bridle, also known as a brank, was an iron cage locked around a person's head with a metal plate pressing down on the tongue. Designed to prevent speech and enforce obedience, it was used primarily against women accused of gossiping, arguing, complaining, or refusing to stay silent.

But the punishment wasn't just physical. Women were often forced to walk through towns wearing the device while crowds laughed, mocked, and publicly shamed them.

In this episode of History, But Strange, we explore one of the most disturbing and unsettling punishments in European history—and what it reveals about the societies that created it.

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