Yoke
A yoke is the more or less “cash and carry” version of a pillory. In it’s original medieval form, that was exactly what is was meant to do. Women especially were locked into one and chased through the streets, the victim of public mockery.
Yokes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Usually they are designed so that the neck and the wrists can be locked into it. While in its medieval purpose the yoke was meant as an instrument of shame, in a BDSM setting yokes are predominantly used to create a firm sense of helplessness and exposure, which is why they are usually connected to forms of breast play especially.
Quite a few yoke designs make it difficult of entirely impossible to look down on the breasts, which is where part of their functionality is. Next to that, having to carry the instrument of punishment and restraint around by herself is quite an experience for the average slave, since it is both a demanding as well as a humiliating experience.
A yoke will allow the slave to perform a variety of tasks and duties, however not without a lot of difficulty, which is where a lot of the fun of yokes is. Performing tasks will soon become quite an humiliating experience, which, of course, is the whole idea. Do not introduce any playforms, that might lead to sudden, unexpected moves. These might lead to dislocation of the wrist joints or serious neck injury. Keep it mild. The humiliating aspects of the yoke is what this instrument is all about.
Neckboards
A neckboard, as the name suggests, is actually a mini-pillory that only locks around the neck. It is used as a holding device and certainly not without risk. When – in a standing or sitting position – the board is pulled up, it will stretch the neck and lock the jaws.
The main danger of a neckboard, regardless its design or the material used, is in the risk of damaging the throat severely.Unbalance, while kept in a neckboard, may quite easily lead to falling and severe damage to the throat (it might actually break). Other risks are in the neck of coarse, as well as the possibility of damaging, or even breaking, the jaw bones.
The neck is a vulnerable area of the body and open to a wide variety of potentially serious damage. These may even be lethal. So anything done to or around the neck should be done with extreme care and precautions. Please bear in mind that certain things are completely unpredictable, when it comes to active BDSM play.
People faint or become dizzy for no apparent or obvious reason for example, the combination of “neckboard” and “fall” is a potentially lethal one. Ending up in a wheelchair is another serious risk. Even the toughest, best-trained, most experienced subs may faint as a result of a variety of reasons, not all of which can be predicted. Unexpected emotions or just being in a standing position for a while are only two of such causes.
So the best advice, when using a neckboard, is to make sure that falling is impossible or at the very least will not lead to a situation where the subs’ weight will be on the neck.
All articles are provided for informational or entertainment purposes only. We are NOT responsible for any injures or other results that participating or partaking in such activities might cause. Everything you read on this page is based on the personal opinion of the author and does not always reflect those of the owners and / or staff of Wasteland. If you try anything found in this article, you do so at your OWN risk!
Always remember! SAFETY FIRST! and please use common sense.
The above article is a reprint from our information/educational site Kink Culture.
A joint project between Wasteland and PowErotics
Copyright © Hans Meyer