In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, women whose speech was deemed “riotous” or “troublesome” would be sentenced to wear for a period of hours a scold’s bridle—a kind of iron chastity belt for the mouth. A metal cage surrounded the lower face, and a bridle bit was pressed against the tongue, preventing speech.
These were often used during witch trials (so the person on trial couldn’t defend themselves against the charges)
