This is called the Scold’s Bridle from medieval Scotland.
The church decreed that it was sinful to allow a woman to talk back to the husband. And so women had these masks locked onto their heads that painfully clamped their mouths shut and humiliated them in public.
Just a little reminder of the way the world was only four centuries ago.
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@drymer I’m not blaming religion. It’s the documented reason for why they were used.
They were used as punishments for various misdemeanours, most notably for uppity wives who scolded their husbands - a serious sin which contravened the bible's clear instruction for wives to remain subservient. These masks were generally fitted with an attachment that projected into the mouth, depressing the tongue This caused further discomfort and could be designed to cause pain and injury. In any case it would make speech impossible. These masks were known as Scold's Bridles. In Scotland such a mask was called a Branks.
