A piece of equipment formally used for punishment in Britain until 1837. The pillory traditionally consisted of a wooden frame with holes, formed by hinged boards, for the offender's head and hands. Confined in a standing position when the upper board was lowered and locked, the offender was at the mercy of bystanders, who might choose to pelt him or her with rotten vegetables, stones, charity sponges etc.
In the case of Knightmare, if a team encountered someone trapped in the pillory, then the dungeoneer had something to gain by freeing them - a friend in need was a friend indeed. Gundrada was incarcerated in the pillory several times in Series 4 (at least once because she had offended Hordriss), and accompanied the dungeoneers who freed her for part of their quest. Team 6 of Series 4, the winning team of that season, found Motley in the pillory - his punishment for telling a risqué joke to the Opposition - and set him free. Coincidentally, the winning team of the next season, Team 4 of Series 5, came across the same jester in the same predicament, and had to organise for Elita to free him. Motley rewarded the team with useful information. During Series 6, Ridolfo was put in the pillory by Count Brinkatore, but Team 4 of Series 6 let him out.
The pillory was seen at least thrice during Series 7: once when Romahna was trapped in it, once during the quest by Team 5 of Series 7 when Fidjit was mercifully locked in it, and once during Team 3 of Series 7's quest, when Lord Fear placed a pillory with a fake dungeoneer skeleton at the start of Level 3 as "a cruel joke".
The pillory is different from the stocks, which confined an offender's hands and feet. Unfortunately, the series guides on knightmare.com, as well as many of The Eye Shield fanzine's articles, treat them as the same instrument, incorrectly referring to the stocks in all instances. Hordriss, Motley and Pickle got stocks and pillory mixed up too. To quote an advisor from Team 2 of Series 4:"It's not a stock, it's one of the ones that are upright."

[Earlier version: 2006-05-19 16:09:25]

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