The Swedish Drink - a cruel torture method of the Thirty Years' War
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The Swedish drink was a particularly brutal method of torture that was frequently used by mercenaries of the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), but also by other troops and marauding gangs.
How did the Swedish drink work?
A disgusting mixture was poured directly into the victim's mouth via a funnel or bucket. This usually consisted of liquid manure, dirty water, urine and feces. To intensify the agony, the tortured person's belly was often compressed with boards or the torturers jumped and trampled on him.
Consequences and effects
The consequences of the Swedish drink were devastating. In addition to the disgust and revulsion, the torture caused severe pain in the stomach and abdominal area as well as fears of suffocation. The liquid manure corroded the esophagus and often entered the lungs via the trachea, which usually led to fatal pneumonia. Added to this was the risk of bacterial infections.
Descriptions in literature
Contemporary authors such as Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen in his novel "The Adventurous Simplicissimus" or Peter Thiele, city clerk of Beelitz, described the cruel practice in poignant words. Their descriptions illustrate the unimaginable suffering that the victims had to endure.
