noun
snake torture; binding and placing in a tub of snakes
Historical torture method in which the victim is bound and placed in a tub or pit with snakes. Rarely used outside historical or cultural references.
時代劇で蛇責めの拷問シーンが出てきた。
A snake-torture scene appeared in the period drama.
蛇責めは江戸時代の拷問の一つとして知られている。
Snake torture is known as one of the tortures of the Edo period.
拷問 is the general term for torture, while 蛇責め refers specifically to this historical snake-based method.
Compound of 蛇 (へび, 'snake') and 責め (ぜめ, 'torture, torment'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but the term is associated with Edo-period punishment lore.