Mask of Satan

The Mask of Satan was a ritualistic torture device used by members of the Holy Inquisition during the 16th-18th centuries. The outer layer of the mask, forged out of iron, was designed to invoke the image of a Satan while the interior of the mask was fitted with nails with which the Inquisitor would hammer the mask onto an individual's face, permanently affixing it to their victim. The Mask of Satan was used as a form of punishment against those guilty of practicing witchcraft or Satanism.

One example of its use took place in the country of Moldavia in the late 1600s. Grand Inquisitor Prince Vajda I sentenced his own sister Asa Vajda and her accomplice Igor Javutich to death for the practice of witchcraft. The Mask of Satan was nailed to their faces and they were burned at the stake. Despite her crimes, Asa Vajda was buried in a coffin in the tomb of her ancestors. Her casket was built with a glass window exposing the Mask of Satan so that all who looked upon it would know of Asa's crimes.

Two-hundred years later, two scientists named Thomas Kruvajan and Andre Gorobec discovered Asa's tomb and removed the mask. They were startled to discover that her remains were still perfectly preserved after all this time. The only evidence of her past were the scars on her face from where the mask had been nailed into place. Whether her corporeal preservation was connected to the mask or not is unknown. Princess Asa was resurrected and used her power to revive Igor Javutich. Javutich crawled his way out of his unmarked grave, still bearing the mask he had been buried with two centuries prior.

Notes & Trivia
The Mask of Satan was the English translation of the original title for the film La maschera del demonio, released in the US as Black Sunday.