Jougs – an instrument of imprisonment

Located at the entrance to the church, the iron hoops of shame called jougs were used to immobilize the hands or neck of a convict and locked with a padlock. They were an auxiliary device used to restrain the prisoner while administering another type of punishment, while exposed to public view, e.g. the pillory or a self-punishment of standing in jougs, which was usually applied for minor offenses.