One of the enduring literary motifs of medieval hagiography is the array of vicious tortures to which saints, particularly virgin martyrs, are subjected in their steadfast defiance of pagan authorities. In Christian terms, the tortured body of the saint is, for the hagiographer and his audience, ‘a testimony to the power of God and the Church’ and the failure of these horrific tortures ‘functions as proof that steadfast spiritual faith can overcome physical suffering’. The monstrous actions of the tormentors are juxtaposed against the righteous stance of the saints; and in their resistance to torture, which rarely has a permanent effect on them, their sanctity is assured. Historically, medieval torture is most commonly associated with judicial proceedings against heretics during the period of inquisitorial courts from the late twelfth century onwards, notably the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229) through to the inception of the notorious Spanish Inquisition in 1478. The form and frequency of torture in hagiography may have provided models of resistance and defiance for heterodox sects who saw themselves and their suffering at the hands of Church authorities reflected in the stories of early Christian saints, even though they rejected the adoration of those saints.