Pillory is a form of a medieval torture device similar to stocks. The victim’s head and/or limbs were placed between two smaller wooden panels that allowed the person some movement. However, the victim was also in some form restrained to a pillar to keep the person from escaping the punishment. This restraint could be loose like a short chain connecting the wooden panels to a post or completely immobilizing by nailing the wooden panels directly into a post, forcing the victim to stay in one specific position.
In addition to the public humiliation the person had to endure, the victim was usually tortured by members of the passing crowd.
Like most other medieval torture methods, pillory is today sometimes used in BDSM. Usually the pillory device used here is fixed to the floor or very heavy so the subject has no way of escaping the punishment. In addition, the device’s height is designed to keep the subject bent over or kneeling for additional humiliation and easy access.