Yoke (fetter)

An actor in a yoke

A wooden shackle is called a yoke , which was used in the past to tie the arms of a prisoner . The yoke was mainly used to serve the prison sentence or to transport prisoners.

Design

The principle of the yoke is similar to that of the neck violin . A certain design of the pillory consists of a yoke permanently mounted on a stand. The stick is also based on the same structural principle, but serves to tie the legs instead of the arms.

The yoke consisted of two elongated wooden blocks that were placed on top of each other and fitted with a hinge on one side and a locking mechanism on the other . The wooden blocks were given three semicircular recesses, which were exactly on top of each other when closed. This created holes that enclosed the wrists and neck of the handcuffed person and that were so small that the hands and head could not be pulled through. The hands were tied next to the head of the prisoner, whereby the freedom of movement was much more restricted than, for example, when tied with chains . In addition, chains or ropes were sometimes attached to the yoke , which made it possible to tie up or lead the prisoner.

In rare cases, the yoke was made of iron instead of wood.