The Spanish Inquisition is one of the most misunderstood and mythologised groups in all of history. Modern-day schools and museums portray it as a bloodthirsty, merciless organisation addicted to performing torture and executions. However, historical records dictate that it was far from this modern-day stereotype. Below I am going to shed light on five myths and their true nature.
Myth #1:
One of the most common and incorrect myths about the Spanish Inquisition is that they were merciless, torturing and executing all of their subjects. Whilst it is true that the Inquisition was tough, its primary goal was always to extract confessions or to ensure the conversion to the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, the Inquisition was often pretty lenient compared to other courts at the time and rarely executed their subjects. For example, in 1629, there was a woman named Isabel García who was accused of witchcraft and was initially sentenced to death. However, after confessing to making a deal with the devil, her sentence was changed to a mere 4 years of exile. This case illustrates the unwillingness of the Spanish Inquisition to execute their subjects. Furthermore, statistics show that of the 150,000 cases tried by the Spanish Inquisition from 1478 to 1834, only about 3000 resulted in executions, which is a scarce 2%.
Myth #2:
Following from myth number one, there is a myth that the Spanish Inquisition was obsessed with witchcraft, which is a common misconception. Whilst witch hunts were extremely common in other parts of Europe, such as France and Germany, the Spanish Inquisition showed little interest in pursuing witchcraft, and throughout the entire history of the Spanish Inquisition, only two people were ever killed for witchcraft. The reason for this was because in 1610, the inquisitor Alonso Salazar Frías looked into a case of suspected witchcraft in the Basque region and discovered it to be superstition and hearsay. As a result, the Inquisition discouraged witch hunts to instead focus on heresy and crimes of religion, such as being a practicing Jew.
Myth #3:
Slightly similar to myth number one is the idea that the Inquisition loved to burn people alive. Whilst they did at times burn people alive, the extent to which it happened has been grossly exaggerated. In fact, the authority that dictated the punishments, the Inquisitorial Tribunal, reserved burning at the stake for the most serious crimes and cases, specifically people who didn’t renounce their religious beliefs, such as Jews and Muslims. Between 1540 and 1700, the Spanish Inquisition sentenced approximately 5000 people to death. As seen in myth one, not all of these people were actually executed; however, of those that were, only about 40% of cases resulted in being burnt at the stake, and the result resulted in hangings. Whilst it was obviously an excruciating way to go, it was only for people who posed a threat to the religious order by not denouncing their religion.
Myth #4:
There are many popular modern-day depictions that show the Inquisition’s gruesome torture methods as inquisitors stand over their victims with an array of tools. In reality this is completely make-believe as the Inquisitorial Tribunal bound Inquisitors by strict rules condemning the use of brutal torture and ensuring that there were people present to regulate how it was performed. The Spanish Inquisition only allowed three forms of torture: strappado (the act of hanging someone by their wrists), toca (the act of shoving a cloth into the subject's mouth and pouring water to simulate suffocation), and garrucha (the act of tightening straps around the subject's body). These methods were designed to inflict pain without drawing blood as the Tribunal ensured that no permanent physical harm or bleeding could occur during torture. Furthermore, torture was extremely sparsely used, with only 1% of cases resulting in its use, and it would be stopped as soon as they confessed or denounced their religion.
Myth #5:
Whilst the Spanish Inquisition did target religious minorities (such as Jews, Muslims, and Protestants), there is a myth saying that they targeted these minorities exclusively. Whilst minorities were accused of heresy, the Inquisition also targeted larger groups like Catholics who strayed from orthodox practices. In fact, many of the Inquisition’s cases involved blasphemy and moral misconduct within and amongst Catholics. For example, in 1578, a Catholic priest named Diego de Simancas was tried for preaching unorthodox doctrines. Similarly, in 1631, Juan de la Cerda was accused of blasphemy and sentenced to public penance. These cases show how the Inquisition didn’t target specific religious minorities but instead targeted people who weren’t devout Roman Catholics who followed the orthodox practices.
Ultimately, whilst the Inquisition is shrouded in myths and false information, most of this has been historically proven to be false as the Inquisitorial Tribunal ensured strong regulations on the inquisitors and ensured that the subjects were treated well in respect to the torture and death administered. Whilst the Inquisition should not be absolved of its crimes, it is important to separate fact and fiction.
