Stocks

See stock (disambiguation) for other meanings of the word stock

The stocks are a device used for public humiliation, punishment, and torture. The stocks are similar to the pillory and the pranger, as both consist of large, hinged, wooden boards. The difference is that in the stocks, the boards are placed around the legs or the wrists, whereas in the pillory they are placed around the arms and neck. However, the terms can be confused and many people refer to the pillory as the stocks.

In the stocks, an offender's ankles would be placed and locked through two holes in the center of the board. Either before or after this the offender would have his shoes and socks removed, exposing his bare feet. Typically, a person confined to the stocks would be subjected to a variety of abuses, such as paddling and tickling of the feet. The Chinese perfected stocks foot torture to an art, often experimenting with itching powder, toenail removal, and other forms of torment to the soles of the feet.

In the modern age, the stocks are still used in some countries as punishment and confinement devices. The stocks have also taken on a lighter image, as they are often found at Middle Age Fairs where the public can experience a form of "stocks entertainment" by watching actors locked in the stocks.