During the Inquisition in the early 1500s, water torture, a precursor to modern waterboarding, was used to extract confessions from accused heretics. This brutal method involved placing a cloth over the face and pouring water to simulate drowning, instilling fear and compliance. The use of such torture methods highlights the extreme measures employed during this period to enforce religious conformity and control dissent.

The use of water torture during the Inquisition in the 1500s evoked powerful imagery in poetry of persecution. Poets like Luis de Góngora drew parallels between flood and baptism motifs, exploring themes of coerced faith and suffering in their works, highlighting the brutal realities of religious conflict.