{"id":7353,"date":"2016-06-16T10:32:58","date_gmt":"2016-06-16T10:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=7353"},"modified":"2017-12-08T13:48:44","modified_gmt":"2017-12-08T13:48:44","slug":"the-german-iron-maiden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/the-german-iron-maiden\/","title":{"rendered":"The German Iron Maiden"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guten Tag!<\/p>\n

Part of learning a language involves stumbling upon interesting little facts you didn\u2019t know about before. This is what happened to me the other day. I was reading a book that mentioned the Iron Maiden \u2013 I had no idea this was a German invention! So I decided to do some reading about it and bring the facts to you here.<\/p>\n

So when I say Iron Maiden you might think of a band. But the torture device they are named after is not!<\/p>\n

The German Iron Maiden<\/h3>\n

The original iron maiden was a torture device<\/u> said to have originated in 14th<\/sup> century N\u00fcrnberg (Nuremberg). \u00a0It was a tall, coffin<\/u>-like structure with hinged doors, tall enough to shut a human inside it. Its interior was full of spikes<\/u>, so that when the person was inside it and the doors closed, the spikes would pierce<\/u> their organs and other body parts<\/u>, causing a slow, painful death<\/u>.<\/p>\n

\"Iron<\/a>

The original ‘iron maiden’. Photo: quinet on flickr.com under a CC license (CC BY 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

The iron maiden is called the Eiserne Jungfrau<\/strong> in German. The word \u2018Jungfrau\u2019 means virgin<\/em>. The iron maiden had a female face resembling the Virgin Mary<\/u>. This torture device is said to have been a misinterpretation of the earlier Schandmantel \u2013 <\/strong>\u2018coat of shame\u2019 \u2013 which was to be worn for public humiliation.<\/u><\/p>\n

Pretty gruesome<\/u>, right?<\/p>\n

\"Iron<\/a>

Interior and exterior of the iron maiden. Photo: madamjujujive on flickr.com under a CC license (CC BY 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"130704_Poeggstall_G_<\/a>

Schandmantel – ‘coat of shame’. Photo by alfreddiem on flickr.com under a CC license (CC BY 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

*Bonus fact!*<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In German (and in fact, in many European languages) there is a phrase: sich wie ger\u00e4dert f\u00fchlen,<\/strong> which literally means \u2018to feel like you’ve been wheeled\u2019. <\/strong>This phrase is in reference to the Breaking Wheel, also known as the Catherine Wheel, another medieval torture device on which victims<\/u> were placed to have their limbs <\/u>crushed. Though not German in origin, the Germans have the phrase sich wie ger\u00e4dert f\u00fchlen <\/strong>as a direct reference to the Wheel, as a way of describing physical exhaustion<\/u> and intense discomfort.<\/u><\/p>\n

\u201cIch f\u00fchle mich wie ger\u00e4dert\u201d \u2013 I am exhausted\/in pain\/\u2019done in\u2019. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vocabulary (underlined words in text above):<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

torture \u2013 <\/strong>die Folter (noun), foltern (verb \u2013 to torture)<\/p>\n

device \u2013 <\/strong>das Ger\u00e4t<\/p>\n

coffin \u2013 <\/strong>der Sarg\/der Totenschrein<\/p>\n

spike \u2013 <\/strong>der Nagel\/der Spie\u00df, aufspie\u00dfen (verb \u2013 to impale)<\/p>\n

to pierce – <\/strong>durchstechen<\/p>\n

body part \u2013 <\/strong>der K\u00f6rperteil<\/p>\n

death \u2013 <\/strong>der Tod<\/p>\n

Virgin Mary<\/strong> – die Jungfrau Maria<\/p>\n

humiliation<\/strong> – die Erniedrigung<\/p>\n

gruesome \u2013 <\/strong>gruselig\/grauenhaft\/grausig<\/p>\n

victim \u2013 <\/strong>das Opfer<\/p>\n

limb \u2013 <\/strong>das Glied<\/p>\n

exhaustion <\/strong>\u2013 die Ersch\u00f6pfung<\/p>\n

discomfort \u2013 <\/strong>die Beschwerden<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Guten Tag! Part of learning a language involves stumbling upon interesting little facts you didn\u2019t know about before. This is what happened to me the other day. I was reading a book that mentioned the Iron Maiden \u2013 I had no idea this was a German invention! So I decided to do some reading about…<\/p>\n

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