10. During the Dutch Revolt in the 16th century, the Dutch would kill – or at least torture – their political prisoners using rats, who would gnaw through the abdomens of the victims.

A prisoner would be tied up, lying flat. A bowl or cage full of live rats would be placed on their torso, with the open side down on their stomach. Hot coal would then be placed on top of the bowl, and in an attempt to escape the heat, the rats would gnaw their way through the bowels of the victim.

11. In medieval Sweden, prisoners could be sentenced to the "Cave of Roses" – which sounds far nicer than it was, because instead of roses the cave was actually filled with thousands of poisonous insects and reptiles.

Prisoners were sent into a cave filled with venomous snakes, reptiles, and insects and were eventually stung and poisoned to death. At times it was dark, and victims didn't know where the deadly critters were, and other times it was well-lit so that they would watch each other die. Either way, literally my worst nightmare.

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